The Shinobi way
by Lincoln859
Summary: Naruto did not become an idiot whos stupidity defies description from his childhood. Instead he became what a Shinobi should be, changing the entire way his world winds up.-Grey Naruto- strong Naruto
1. Chapter 1

The Shinobi way

He was Irritated. There was so much noise, and on such an important day. His name was Uzumaki Naruto, soon-to-be shinobi of the hidden leaf village. He was also the village's number one undesirable. This was through no fault of his own, as the reason he was hated happened twelve years ago, on October 10th, the day he was born.

The mighty demon known as the "Kyuubi no Kitsune" attacked Konoha. This, naturally, wound up with more than a few deaths, and an obscene amount of property damage. It was stopped by one Namikaze Minato, the Yondaime Hokage. At the cost of his life, he sealed the demon into a newborn baby. The man's last words were a plea for the child to be treated as the hero he is for jailing the Kyuubi. For some strange reason, the village denied his request, treating the helpless child like they would a helpless demon. The Saindame Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, tried his best to protect the child, but failed miserably because he was unwilling to provoke confrontation.

Shoot, if he had merely put his foot down once, the whole problem would have been solved. Instead, the old man threw him to the wolves at the orphanage, where he was beaten daily, malnourished, and typically made miserable. He stayed there the first three years of his life, and then was thrown out onto the streets.

The next three years of his life were pure hell, but taught him a lot at least. When you're attacked every day, you learn to anticipate people's movements. When you're attacked shinobi, you get even better at it. When you have to steal to eat, and hide to survive from day to day, you typically learn to hide from those hunting you, which made his stealth (AN: not sure how to word this) better than even the ANBU specialists. When your life is in danger, and every mistake had terrible consequences, you learn how to sense people, whether they can hide or not, and you always catalogue where someone can be hiding.

That kind of sense never leaves you, because the moment you think you are in danger again, it resurfaces. He also gained a healthy sense of paranoia, and more common sense and street smarts than most ninja. He also developed what could be considered natural Sharingan, because if it had a point A, and a point B, he could dodge, provided he was fast enough. This would come in handy for his shinobi career, because it would greatly help his taijutsu. He learned to read, to understand warnings, learned to write so he could make notes as to where to avoid. He learned what to eat and what not to both in the wild. He learned the best ways to steal, when to steal, and what is easiest to steal. For example, apples: easy, oranges: hard. He still had no idea why that was, but people have always watched oranges more.

After the three years finally ended, the third Hokage found the boy while he was on one of his walks. At first site, the boy wasn't much. Wearing pure gray clothes that seemed to have so many patches it was ridiculous. Long hair, to his shoulder blades, and tanned skin, walking with a limp and bleeding from his leg, a shoulder, and a cut above his eyes.

The old man stood shocked for a few seconds, before he managed to stutter out "N…Naruto?" Icy blue eyes had snapped to his, startling several years out of the man upon seeing the boy's whisker marks. "What are you doing out of the orphanage?" Naruto cocked his head to the side, and then asked the obvious question. Well, two questions really. "Who are you? And what's an orphanage?" He had learned what he needed to survive, not pointless things like what sounded like a house, something he never happened. He did wonder though, was that the building that he was kicked out of? The Hokage was stunned for a few moments, than his face turned furious.

He shouted out for ANBU, and sent some to the orphanage, and told Naruto to go with the others. Naruto merely glared at them, and said "Why should I go with those who will kill me?" The third got even madder, and started to radiate killing intent (AN: from now on KI). By this point Naruto was able to stand up straight, and his wounds had stopped bleeding, mostly healed. The third finally introduced himself to Naruto, Hiruzen, as The Saindame Hokage. The old man asked Naruto to go with him, Naruto asked why. "So that I can get you to safety and a place to live." "Why do you care?" Naruto refuted.

"No child should have to live on the streets." "Yes, but you just met me. How the heck do you know my name? Much less that I should be in an orphanage? After all, you should be way too busy to know even some of the orphans by name." This put the old man in a quandary. After all, he could hardly tell the boy that he was the container for a demon of damn near unlimited might. And he definitely couldn't tell him that he was the son of the fourth. So, how best to get this boy to be a good little weapon for the village, loyal and always willing to protect it. Of course, the boy would have to be forgiving, and let go of his anger. 'Hmm, best go with the half truth approach, than when he trusts me I can lay it out for him. I don't want to make him a weapon, everyone deserves better than that. But he's a Jinchurikki, and that is their only fate. Plus, it means the village will be safe for many more years, so it's one for many, and the choice is always obvious.' "I can't tell you right now, because I don't truly know. I just found you after the Kyuubi attack, no one claimed you so I put you in the orphanage. I tried to keep an eye on you, but I have been too busy the last three years. Will you trust me enough to take you to an apartment?"

Naruto had looked at him, almost as if he was looking into the old man's soul. He nodded, but was still cautious. And so, the Saindame took the boy to his office, to arrange for an apartment. On the way there, and while they were inside, the third talked to the boy about being a shinobi, and how he should forgive them, because the villagers are just afraid, and when the boy asked what they were afraid of, the third answered "I don't know my boy." The boy refused to forgive the villagers, but was willing to look into being a shinobi. The Saindame went over all of the areas that a shinobi could specialize in. Tai, Gen, Nin, Iryo, Fuin, Ken, Bo, and Shuriken, all of them Categories. All of these were capable of being learned by shinobi, and Naruto was given a brief overview of all of them. The Saindame placed a certain emphasis on Ninjutsu, seeming to believe that he would enjoy them, or maybe he thought that Naruto would be good at them. It didn't really matter.

After a few hours and many messages, the Third brought Naruto into the worst district in Konoha, the Red Light district. Home of drug dealers, whores, pimps, murderers, rapists, and all around scumbags. Potentially the number one place that you do _not_ want a child to grow up in. And the Hokage brought him to an abandoned building. Looking at it, its inhabitants would be lucky to have hot water, electricity, or anything of that nature.

The old man took Naruto to an apartment on the third floor, which was in only slightly better condition than all the others. "This was the best I could get you, I'm sorry." The boy had looked at him, like the Hokage was now his worst enemy. He sighed, and then said "at least make sure you don't tell anyone where I live, no matter who it is please. Considering that they will most likely try to kill me if they do find out." "I don't believe it's that bad Naruto-kun." Just a look was all it took to shut the man up. He nodded, and then left. He had begun to leave ANBU guards, but decided against it. After all, he needed the boy easy to manipulate, and right now he most definitely wasn't.

After the Saindame left, he took stock of what was there. A boatload of instant ramen (junk food, not something he particularly liked either) and enough money for maybe a month of life, as well as some…thing in the in the closets.

He couldn't really look at it directly, because it was a blinding, kill me now orange tracksuit. He was honestly wondering what the fuck was with the Hokage. 'He encourages me to be a shinobi, but he gets me this crap? Does he want a ninja or dead kid?' Naruto shook his head, and sat down to puzzle why the man was actually interested in him.

After about twenty minutes of trying to figure it out, he gave up, because he needed more information. However, what he really needed was some clothes, proper food, and above all, shinobi gear and training. And, considering how every shop in all of Konoha except one kicked him out, and they were all closed now, well, time for him to steal everything he needed. First stop was the shinobi gear shop that, when he went in not knowing what it was, the asshole in charge caused a mob to come after him. He knew what time most stores, including this one, so it would be no problem getting in.

Naruto walked through the front door after picking it. In a stroke of luck, the owner of this store was out on business in Tea Country, and he was a shinobi, so it was a very good thing. Looking around, he thought he had hit the jackpot.

First thing he did was get some new clothes. He was going for comfort and maneuverability, and saw damn near exactly what he wanted. Taking off his clothes, he changed into grey flowing pants, a black silk shirt, and a beautiful black Haori. The Haori covered his arms, and the sleeves ended halfway down his hands. It also went down to his knees, and had four outer pockets and six inner ones, all quite sizable. Grabbing several pairs of each, and in progressively greater sizes, he bagged his items. Next were the weapons. He grabbed several sets of kunai, shuriken, senbon, and several spools of ninja wire. Bagging those, he grabbed all of the exploding and smoke tags, along with smoke pellets. Pocketing those, only a few hundred of the tags and roughly five hundred pellets, tags fitting in one pocket and pellets in two others, he saw a ninjato hanging on the wall. 36 inches total, with a nine inch handle, it was plain, just a leather wrapped handle and an unremarkable dual edged blade, and standard strong tip, it was overall perfect for him. He took it and strapped it to the back of his waist, underneath the Haori. 'Now for books, so as I can learn everything that old man was talking about earlier.' And so he took the beginners books for everything, including things distinctly non-ninja that they had for disguises or something like that. Nin, Gen, Tai, Shuriken, Iryo, Fuin, Ken, and Bo, along with sewing, cooking, poisons, plants, unlocking chakra and chakra natures, and even masseuse. Bagging those and a few things called storage scrolls, and having a little trouble carrying it all, he left, happy with his thefts.

Well, almost leaving. Along with the holsters for each thing he got, he saw three strange holsters. Each one was green, with black seams, and it had a sign on it. "Wrist holsters, Kunai, Shuriken and Senbon. Channel some chakra into it and it will send a preset amount of weapons into the palm of your hand." Naruto decided to take all three, they seemed interesting. Making it to his new incredibly crappy apartment, he put everything away, and spent most of the night reading the "introduction and unlocking chakra.

As the year passed, he excelled in everything except Bojutsu, and was easily chunin level in everything. The only reason he was not faster than he was is because he could not wear weights. Oh, as soon as he graduated he would be able to; because that's one of the ways they schedule graduation. To make sure every student is capable of achieving their best.

Anyways, he had yet to change his outfit, except for sewing a life like image of the Kyuubi onto the back of his Haori. Hey, if that's what the villagers call you, why not accept it? He had the Senbon wrist holster on his right wrist, and the Shuriken one on his left. Several storage scrolls and a kunai holster on each leg completed the tools he needed. His ninjato was still on the back of his waist, handle facing his left side, despite the fact that he was ambidextrous. His natural version of the Sharingan had improved, to the point where he could keep up with people much faster than him, and so long as his body was fast enough, counter them. It had gotten easy to predict the other Genin, even most Chunin that he watched.

However though, it was Graduation day from the academy, and as stated before, Naruto was irritated by the loud noise. The class was perfectly fine until two fan girls stampeded in, screaming about how they were going to be the one to sit next to "their" Sasuke-kun. This being despite the fact that someone with half an eye can tell there is an open seat on either side of him. 'And these are supposed to be ninja. Pathetic.' The worst part was this problem would last for at least five minutes, and then Iruka would walk in and put a stop to it. Sure enough, five minutes later a "SHUT UP AND SIT DOWN!" rang through the room.

Everyone sat down, and Iruka and Mizuki spoke a few words then passed out the first part of the graduation exam, the written test. Naruto aced it in five minutes, flipped it over and meditated for the remaining hour and fifty five minutes. After that it was time for kunai and shuriken targeting. 10 targets for each one, one thousand points for a perfect run.

Which Naruto did not get. No one did. Naruto was holding back the entire time, except for the written exam. That was just too easy. The reason he was holding back was because he did not trust the Hokage with the knowledge of even most of his skills, as he knew the old man was watching. After that was taijutsu. This was a tournament of spars between classmates, taijutsu only.

The battles passed without interest, the only ones doing anything worth noting was Aburame Shino, Akamichi Chouji, Nara Shikamaru, Uchiha Sasuke, and Inuzuka Kiba, in that order. Naruto only fought just enough to beat his opponent. The final match was Naruto vs. Sasuke, which Naruto forfeited. Sure, it caused everyone to insult him, but he did not feel like fighting. After that was the Ninjutsu test, the basic three, and Naruto accomplished that, became a Shinobi, and went home.

Where he trained his control to keep it at the medical Nin level he had spent years accomplishing. If it was not for the fact that he trained everything but Bojutsu, Naruto would probably be High Chunin at least, possibly low Jonin. But there was massive difference in each level of Shinobi, well, the stereotypical shinobi anyway. Instead he was mid-chunin, and he was quite happy about it, because there was no one as well rounded that he knew of.

An afternoon of training, and off to sleep he went, because he just knew that the next day was going to be a pain in the ass.


	2. Chapter 2

The day after graduation

Naruto woke up in a decent mood, three am like he usually did so he could go on an early morning run without having to deal with that crazy dude in the green spandex. The morning went as usual, however, about half way through he heard a commotion. As a shinobi should do, considering he was nowhere near the training grounds, he went towards the sounds.

As he got closer, he saw the two academy instructors, Iruka and Mizuki. He hid himself and decided to listen to what they were saying. Mizuki was in the middle of a rant by this point, "If that damn Kyuubi brat hadn't of passed I would not of been caught by you Iruka! We were friends once; don't make me have to kill you!" Mizuki took one of the Fuma Shuriken off his back, with his left hand holding up a sizable scroll.

"Why Mizuki? Why would you take the Forbidden scroll? Why are you betraying the village?" Iruka drew several Kunai, prepared to fight his former friend, but to confused to do much. Mizuki shook his head in disgust, spitting out "the Kyuubi! I could not live in a village where the monster that took my favorite uncle away! That boy, Naruto…he's every bit the monster that the Kyuubi is, and should have been killed the moment the fourth sealed the beast inside him! I was prepared to give him a chance, but he has no emotion, no good, only the evil that only I can see for some reason!

Orochimaru offered me power, the power I would need in order to be able to kill that beast. All he wanted in return was the forbidden scroll." Naruto's eyes widened, thinking 'that explains quite a lot actually. Though, why did the third not tell me this? If he wanted me to trust him, informing me of this would definitely be the way to go!' While Naruto was musing, Iruka's eyes had widened, saying "He found you after you killed that Chunin on the mission didn't he! That was a mercy killing so he would not be tortured because we couldn't take him with us, and he corrupted you didn't he?

Please, there's still time for you to turn back, we can return the scroll and no one need ever know!" Iruka's head lowered as Mizuki frowned at him. "Corrupted me? I am going to do Konoha a favor! I am going to prevent that beast from ever betraying us and killing thousands! I am going to kill him and you if you don't get out of my way." A tear fell from Iruka's eye, for the man he considered a best friend and a brother, now lost because of one man's manipulations. "I can't let you leave with that scroll Mizuki. I'm sorry, but I have to take you in."

Mizuki groaned, "You could never beat me Iruka. Not before and not now, I was always the better of us. If you refuse to move, than I will make you." With that, Mizuki threw the shuriken, and Iruka only just dodged it. Mizuki leaped at Iruka, starting off with an axe kick that Iruka dodged by jumping backwards. Iruka threw the Kunai at Mizuki, but the man merely dodged them. "You were never a fighter Iruka, always a supporter and medic." It was true, Iruka mused. They had been a good team, Mizuki keeping the enemy ninja off of Iruka, Iruka striking the Nin down from a distance. He was going to die from this, he knew it, and so did Mizuki, and Naruto who was hiding. A few more exchanged blows, and Mizuki got behind Iruka, kicking his legs out from under him. 'On the odd chance I survive this, I am going to train my ass of in Taijutsu' Iruka thought. "Any last Iruka?" Mizuki asked, standing behind him with a Kunai to his neck. Iruka didn't do anything, letting the fact that he was about to die at the hands of his best friend sink in. "Alright, for the record though, I wish it hadn't come to this." Mizuki stated.

Iruka closed his eyes, and then felt a weight fall on his shoulders, the Kunai at his neck fell away and he was driven to the ground by what felt like Mizuki's body. He picked himself up, shrugging the weight off to the right side. Looking at it, his breath caught in his throat, it was Mizuki, 3 senbon sticking out of his neck on the right side. Iruka checked his pulse, and the man was dead.

"Are you alright?" a raspy voice asked him. Looking around him, trying furiously to find out where it was coming from, he heard a tinge of amusement enter the voice. "I'm right here." Iruka looked at the voice, and saw why he couldn't find it before. The voice was coming from one Uzumaki Naruto, who was picking up the forbidden scroll, and was wearing pure grey (Naruto had not put on his Haori this morning, choosing only grey clothes) and in the current greyisness of when the sun is rising, but not over the horizon yet, it blended in with the background quite well. "I'm fine…what are you doing?"

"Collecting the scroll for the Hokage, then I will get the prisoner to him as well. Can you walk?" Iruka was puzzled, and his face showed it. "Prisoner? And yes, I can walk." "Mizuki has been placed into a near death state; he will survive it and come out without any complications, provided he gains medical attention. Come on, let's get to the Hokage. Does anyone know that the scroll was taken?" Iruka shook his head, "No, nobody knows yet. I only came across him by accident; he had stopped to learn some of the jutsus. I was coming out here to…" "Why you were out here does not matter. You were not the traitor, so there is no point in explaining yourself to me. Tell it the Hokage." Iruka nodded, and then they left, Naruto, a boy the age of 12, carrying both the traitor and scroll.

"So let me get this straight. You were out for the whole night, trying to come to terms with exactly how you felt about Naruto, because of…circumstances…and you found Mizuki reading the forbidden scroll of seals, you confronted him, he beat you, and right when he was about to kill you Naruto intervened." "Yes Sir." The Saindame sighed and rubbed his temples. "How much of their conversation did you hear Naruto?"

"Most of it, as I arrived after their first volley, when Mizuki first attacked Iruka, I also learned that I held the Kyuubi inside of me. Care to share when you were going explain that part to me, as well as why I was the one chosen? There were several civilian and ninja orphans who share my birthday." "The reasons the fourth chose you were his own, he did not tell me.

I was intending to tell you upon becoming Chunin, giving you at least a chance at an ordinary childhood." Naruto looked at the old man, narrowing his eyes "You found me on the street, bleeding from several wounds, having lived there for three years. You had yet to even give me an apartment before you were pressuring me to become a shinobi. In what manner of universe is that a childhood?" All of that was stated in a completely dead voice, which worried the Saindame. 'I really hope he does not go missing Nin, this might be just the push he needs.' "Don't even bother answering that, I can guess. You wanted me to be completely loyal to you, because you "rescued me", and by proxy the village would have my loyalty." Naruto merely shook his head. "I'm going now; I do not want to be around any of you."

And he left, leaving the Saindame to wonder if it would have been better to let Danzo at him. 'At least I would know he's loyal, but to sacrifice someone's emotions would be far too much for any village.' "Sir, with all due respect, is it really wise to just let him go?" "What do you want me to do? If I send anyone after him, or go after him myself, I risk pushing him away from the village, and as you know, every village wants more Jinchurikki. Especially Kumo and Iwa, and Suna would accept him too. He would probably be treated better in those places too." Iruka nodded and left, leaving the Saindame to try and figure out a way to ensure the village would survive if Naruto released the nine tails.


	3. Chapter 3

Meeting the team and training

After Naruto left the Hokage's office, a little frustrated and very upset at the village (not that any of this showed on his face) he left straight for his apartment, considering before he had to go to the academy, he had to train in the most relaxing yet frustrating kind of Jutsu he knew, Iryojutsu. Better known as medical jutsu, this branch of the Shinobi arts was far more frustrating than any other because of Naruto's chakra. He had been training his chakra for nearly six years, and if he stopped for a week his control was shot all to hell. The reason being was the amount of his chakra.

Even before he started training everything, his chakra was growing, fast. Small increments, sure, but still growing, and every time your chakra grows your body needs time to adapt. That's why most Shinobi only have to master the chakra exercises once, because their chakra grew slow enough for their body to adapt to it, and if it did expand rapidly, then they would be usually be using chakra to make it do so, keeping their control up to par. That was one of the reasons the fabled "Hero's Water" of Takigakure was lethal to the drinker, along with opening the eight gates of chakra.

Both of them forced the chakra coils of the human body to expand, forcing chakra production, and the body didn't have enough time to adapt to it, not only shooting your control all to hell, but rushing chakra to every point of your body, including the brain and heart, both finicky places required certain amounts of chakra to function properly. Too much or too little, and whoever it was would be doomed to death, unless the balance was restored. That was why opening the 8th gate was lethal; it shoved too much chakra to both the brain and the heart, causing them to eventually shut down.

While Naruto's problem was nowhere near that serious, it was enough that it caused him continuous trouble, especially with something as precise as medical jutsus were. It had originally caused some trouble with genjutsu as well, but he learned to adapt with that at least, unlike Iryo jutsu, which had to be precise.

A few hours of training that, he looked into the scroll he had obtained that morning. While Iruka and Mizuki were fighting, he had copied every jutsu on the scroll that was not a suicide jutsu, which left him with all of six. Out of fifty something jutsu in the damn scroll, six were not suicide. Naruto set down to learning the ones that caught his eyes; the kage senbon and kage bunshin no jutsus, and bunshin daibakuha, the exploding clone jutsu. It took two hours to learn them, with his chakra and control level it was easy.

By that point it was nearly time to head to the academy to learn of his team, which wound up with him on Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura's team. He had no idea why he was placed there, until he heard who the sensei was.

Hatake Kakashi, Sharingan no Kakashi, the copycat Nin, one of the many currently in the village who could take him down, but the one with the best chances to take him down once he grew stronger. Maito Guy would be a close second, but the Kyuubi's chakra was too poisonous for him to handle, so Kakashi's Ninjutsu and Sharingan was the best bet. It was also possible that he was ordered to train the villages "last Uchiha", while keeping the "demon" stunted. The man was also notorious for being three hours late to everything short of an A-rank or higher mission. Blending into the shadows of the room, he settled in to read the next level of fuinjutsu, considering he was an intermediate, the only thing holding him back was lack of experience making seals.

Earlier that day

The day had been quite long for the Saindame, after he dismissed Iruka; he realized that, for now, he could not afford to allow Naruto to grow too strong, as the boys loyalty to the village was not one hundred percent. If he left things as they were, Kakashi, student of the fourth, would undoubtedly teach Naruto everything he knew, and then some, most likely calling in favors from the other Jonin, to ensure the boy was as strong as he could possibly be. After all, he held the Fourth in high regard, and as the Fourths legacy, the man would neglect his other students in favor of the belief he would make his sensei proud by training his son till he dropped. That wouldn't do at all.

"ANBU, call Kakashi here, immediately. Inform him it is for an incredibly important mission." Two sunshins later and Kakashi was in his office. "So, what is this mission about? It must be important if you drew me away from my training plans." Yes, shocking as it was, Kakashi was working, and working hard. He was going to drive his sensei's son into the ground, again and again until the boy had surpassed him. At the least, so that both of them could make his sensei and adoptive father proud. Of course, he wouldn't neglect his other little Genin either; just focus on Naruto the most. "I'm afraid you're not going to like it, as it focuses on your Genin team."

Kakashi's eye narrowed, because if the Hokage said you weren't going to like something, you usually wound up cursing him for making you do it in the first place. He put away his Icha Icha, showing how serious he was, and gave the Hokage his full attention. "You can't train Naruto. His loyalty to the village is not absolute. We do not need another Orochimaru." Kakashi just stared at him. "Please tell me that the years of warfare have finally caught up to me. Please tell me that you aren't telling me that I should neglect the son of the fourth Hokage, therefore driving him even further from the village than you have already, the boy who I have looked forward to training for years, all because you believe he might go rouge. This is something he is well within his rights to do by this point, because of the fact that you _forbid_ me from saving him, from being the older brother to him I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE!"

The Third was now privy to someone no one who lives has ever been. A furious Kakashi, this was the man with the massive bounty from three nations. "You forbid me from any contact to him, and like a fool I listened to you." Kakashi's head lowered, and he continued. "I could have lived with him, took care of him, prevented any of this from ever happening, and you wouldn't have to be laboring under the delusion that Sensei's son would betray the village." The third's eyes hardened. "I could not risk that. You would have killed everyone who looked at him the wrong way." Kakashi's glare intensified, by he didn't deny it. He had fought his hardest for custody of Naruto, at least four times a year since the boy's birth, but if the council didn't deny it, the Saindame did.

"And I'm not telling you not to teach him, I am ordering you not to improve his fighting capabilities, just train him in something that won't help him in battle. You cannot teach him. Instead, I order you to focus on the Uchiha, train him well, because his Sharingan may be the only thing that can stop Naruto if he goes rouge." "You disgust me." The Saindame merely shrugged. "I must do what is best for the village, and until I have irrefutable proof that Naruto is loyal to the village, I cannot let him get stronger. This most recent discovery of the fact that the Kyuubi's sealed in him may send him over the edge." The Jonin gave him a pitying look. "Without anyone there to comfort him, hell not even a friendly restaurant owner to head to for a warming meal and a word of comfort, it may very well. If you had just let me adopt him, then we wouldn't be in this mess."

"Be that as it may, I am ordering you to focus on Uchiha-kun, and don't teach Naruto anything deadly. Nor can you get another shinobi to do it for you." Kakashi seemed to almost break, then thought of something and cheered up. "So I cannot help him directly, cannot get someone else to do it for me, and when I do teach him, I can only teach things that won't help him in combat, like tracking and stealth, stuff like that?" The Saindame felt worried for some reason, but merely nodded. Kakashi shunshinned away without a word, off to write training lessons and some jutsus from each element that he knew, to give to him at the end of "tracking training sessions". Leaving the Saindame worried about whether Kakashi would actually follow his orders or not.

And so it was, three hours after our young protagonist settled down to read, finishing the book once and getting halfway through it a second time, Kakashi came in, in quite a good mood compared to how he usually was, though a little regretful, and took stock of his Genin.

There was his Kawai little should be brother, blonde hair, three whisker marks on each cheek, wearing a grey shirt, black pants, and a black Haori, with what he already knew to be a lifelike picture of the Kyuubi on the back. It had caused quite a stir in Konoha the day he sewed that into it. His next Genin, the fan girl Sakura Haruno, pink hair, pink dress, obviously dieting, and her records stated she was supposed to be incredibly talented. And the boy he was ordered to focus on, Sasuke Uchiha, supposed prodigy, black hair that looked like a duck's ass at the back, last loyal Uchiha, and he could already tell the boy would be arrogant as hell. He'd have to do his best work on that. Well, for now he'd start off with his usual.

"My first impression of you is…I don't like you." The pink haired fan girl looked heartbroken; the Uchiha hid his emotions nowhere near as well as he thought he did, and Naruto…had merely put his book away. "Meet me on the roof in five minutes." and away Kakashi shunshinned.

Naruto was pondering his new sensei. He and his Genin team had been sitting on the roof for five minutes now, after the time he set. "So, let's start off with introductions. Tell me about yourself, you, pinky, you go…"

"Sensei, could you tell us what you want?" If Naruto hadn't of had years of practice at hiding his emotions on the streets, he would of looked aghast at the girl. "Just give me your name, likes, dislikes, hobbies, and goal for the future, that sort of thing." Sakura just nodded, and started off, or was about too. "Can you start off sensei, so we know what to do?" Cue sweat drop from Kakashi. "Well, I suppose, my name is Kakashi Hatake, I have likes and dislikes, I have a hobby or two, and my dream for the future? Meh never thought about it." 'All we learned was his name' was the combined thought of two Genin, "Now you pinkie." "My name is Sakura Haruno; my likes are…dislikes are INO-PIG! My hobbies" she looked as Sasuke just like when she said likes.

"My dream for the future…" She shifted her legs around, and looked at Sasuke with a flushed look on her face. 'Is she…aroused?' was the thought of Naruto and Kakashi. Holding off shivers, Kakashi nodded to the next member "you next emo." Said emo glared at him "I am _Uchiha _Sasuke; I like very little and despise everything else. My only hobby is training, and my dream is more of an ambition, I am going to kill a certain man, and then revive my clan." "And now the blonde." Said blonde merely cocked his head, and began his introduction "My name is Naruto Uzumaki; I am currently unaware if I have any likes, dislikes, hobbies, or dreams." He gained two weird looks and one of approval. 'Well, maybe there is hope that he will pick up the lessons I'm going to teach him, without letting anyone else pick up on it.'

"OK, I want all of you to meet me at Training Ground 7 in ten minutes where we'll begin your survival training," Kakashi said. The two genin other than Naruto looked up in surprise.

"WHAT? But we already took did that in the Academy!" screamed Sakura, causing the three males to wince while a window nearby cracked. _'What the hell? Is she trying to make us deaf?'_thought everyone in the vicinity.

"Yes, but not my kind of survival training. Think of this as a test that will prove to me that you can be shinobi of Konoha. To tell you the truth, it is exactly that. This training will decide whether you will become ninja or just sent back to the Academy. The test you took in the Academy was designed to see if you have what it takes to become genin. But now, we will test to see if you are worthy to become shinobi of Konoha. I'll explain it in greater detail when you get to the Training Ground," Kakashi said and vanished via Shunshin.

Naruto left, moving far faster than his two teammates, as Sakura called for him to wait, and the Uchiha tried to match his pace. Futilely, but Naruto supposed it was the attempt that counted.

Arriving at the training ground, they clustered near Kakashi, waiting for the man to explain what exactly the test would be. "Alright, for the first part of the test, you are to meet me here at training ground seven tomorrow at 6 am. Oh, and don't eat breakfast, or else you'll wind up puking." He shunshinned away, leaving Sakura furiously shaking. Naruto started running, knowing that the explosion that was coming would leave him deaf, what with his sensitive hearing.

"**DID THAT BAKA JUST TELL US TO COME HERE ONLY TO LEAVE THE TEST UNTIL TOMORROW! THAT STUPID, STUPID BAKA!"** She would have continued on a lot longer, but she had nearly screamed her throat out from just that. The three Genin went their separate ways for the night, Naruto to train his dodging, new jutsu, and most especially his Kenjutsu-senbon style of fighting. Sakura left to primp in front of a mirror for several hours, then eat two bites of her dieted meal, then sleep. Sasuke left to train his jutsus, practice his sneers, and train his taijutsu a small bit.


	4. Chapter 4

The test

It was seven thirty, and Naruto was going to the quietest place in the village, the area around the memorial stone. It was a good place to eat, or just spend time. There was usually a shinobi, Kakashi, there as well, just like he was this morning. An hour and a half after they were supposed to arrive. Very dedicated to his students wasn't he. Instead of hiding on the other side of the memorial stone like usual, he sat down next to his soon to be sensei, and opened his meal, an old recipe he had found in the library, and it was delicious.

"Didn't I say not to eat breakfast?" Pausing in his preparation, Naruto replied apathetically

"Didn't you say to be there by six? If you can break one rule, I can break another." Kakashi shrugged, and then his stomach growled. Naruto looked up at him, asking him if he wanted some. Kakashi looked at the food; it looked like rice with some sort of white gravy and bits of meat in it, along with round circles of cooked bread. It smelled good; even it didn't look entirely appetizing.

"What is it?"

"This is sausage gravy over rice, with biscuits. It's very good, give it a shot." Kakashi shrugged and sat down, accepting another plate that Naruto unsealed from a scroll. Kakashi looked curious, and as he pulled the mask down to eat, he was about to ask a question, but Naruto cut him off,

"I was going to give to my teammates, but if they are dumb enough to sit there three hours without breakfast, they don't really deserve it, do they?" Kakashi shrugged and took a bite, and looked like the newest version of Icha Icha had just come out.

"This is really good, how often do you cook?"

"I've been cooking for myself for years, its rather relaxing. I've gotten quite good at." Naruto stated with some pride.

"Mmm." Kakashi decided he had might as well get to know his sensei's son, rather than the crap that served as introductions yesterday.

"So, how about you tell me a little about yourself, I'll go first as a gesture of good faith. My name is Kakashi Hatake; my likes are Icha Icha, lazing about, and irritating people by arriving three hours late and reading Icha Icha in public. My dislikes are traitors, arrogant, and above all, fan girls." Kakashi shivered. "My hobbies include reading Icha Icha and irritating Might Guy, the Taijutsu master of Konoha. You might want to look him up, although he is a little eccentric, he is the best person to teach you taijutsu, if you have an interest in it. I also enjoy irritating Kurenai, the Genjutsu mistress of Konoha, right now one of the best Genjutsu users in Konoha, although, if it was not for my Sharingan, she would have Genjutsued me to death by now. I have a friend named Asuma, wind user, skilled Jonin. My dream for the future is to make my father and Sensei proud." Naruto nodded, and then asked

"What is a wind user? Someone who focuses on mainly wind?"

"Ah, a wind user is usually found in Suna, but a wind user is someone whose chakra nature is wind. You find out your chakra nature with the aid of chakra paper." 'So that's what those papers were for.' Taking out a scroll from an inner pocket of his Haori, he unsealed several pieces of it.

"So, what do I do, just channel chakra into it or something?" Kakashi nodded. Doing so, the whole paper crumbled into dust. 'So he's an earth nature eh? Well, that's good; I know a great deal of earth Jutsu from when we fought Iwa.'

"You're an earth type that means that earth jutsus will come easier to you." 'Hey the Hokage said I could not teach him anything dangerous, not that I could not teach him general knowledge. And now I know which scroll to make his target in our first training session.'

"Hmm, well, you properly introduced yourself, so I guess I will return the courtesy. My name is Naruto Uzumaki; my likes are cooking, sewing, training, and a good fight. My hobbies are the former except for the fighting. My dislikes are arrogant people, traitors, fan girls, and when people are too loud. Dream for the future? I have never really thought about it. Just survive I suppose." After making small talk, and becoming genuine friends over the time they spent on that meal, Kakashi grabbed Naruto by the shoulder and shunshinned off to the rest of the team.

"WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN! YOU'RE BOTH LATE!" Sakura screamed, as miles away, in Iwa a baby went deaf. Back in Konoha, the three males were wincing, and several drops of blood fell from Naruto's ears. 'My hearing is too sensitive to hear that again, from now on I need to have earplugs in around her. If I hadn't of trained my senses this wouldn't be a problem.' He had trained his senses out of necessity during the three years on the streets.

"Maa, maa, we got lost on the road of life." Naruto plugged his ears, waiting for it, "LIAR!" she screamed, looking incredibly angry. Kakashi coughed, "anyways, your objectives are these…"Kakashi held up a pair of bells, then tied them to his belt.

"The one that doesn't get a bell goes back to the academy; you have until noon to get these from me. The looser also doesn't get lunch." Two stomachs growled furiously, causing Naruto and Kakashi to stifle a chuckle. "Alright, begin!"

The three Genin hid immediately, so Kakashi walked over to a tree, leaned up against it and stretched out his senses, while reading a little of Icha Icha. 'There's Sasuke, hiding well, but evidently incapable of hiding completely. Other Genin might not be able to see him, but sensing him is another story. Sakura…he could see her plain as day. The pink hair, pink dress, and the fact that she was screaming at naruto…screaming at naruto?'

"YOU STUPID BAKA! YOU'RE GETTING IN THE WAY OF ME AND SASUKE-KUN!" Back to Kakashi, he was currently puzzled. 'Naruto is the only one that she screams at like that, I've seen it before. But I can neither see nor sense the boy. This is ridiculous. I'm a retired ANBU that specialized in tracking and assassination, how the hell can he hide from me? Ah well, I suppose I should be proud. It will help him in finding what I need to teach him if he can track half as well as he can hide…looks like Sasuke is preparing to attack, god it took long enough, we've been doing nothing for 15 minutes.'

Ten shuriken came flying out of the woods hitting the log that Kakashi had substituted with, while Sasuke came out in the clearing.

"You know, I figured that you would be a little better than that…seeing as you're the 'last Uchiha' and all." Sasuke glared at him, and then charged. 'Tsk, no patience, no planning either.' The boy swung forward with a punch…dodged, used the momentum to launch a spinning kick, blocked. 'With the way this is going, I don't even need to put away my…spoke too soon' as Sasuke had nearly managed to touch the bells somehow. Sasuke started through handsigns, 'He can't do that, Genins are not supposed to have enough chakra.' "Katon: Gokuyaku no jutsu!" (Grand fireball Jutsu) "Doton: Shinjuu Zanshu." (Inner decapitation skill) Kakashi muttered.

The fireball raged overhead, as he moved through the earth towards Sasuke, coming up underneath him, hearing him mutter "left? Right? Above?" he could not resist saying "below" as he dragged Sasuke into the ground, up to his neck. Dusting off his hands, he left, came across Sakura, knocked her out with an e-rank genjutsu, and finally found his should-be-otouto.

Or rather, he found what seemed like a hundred senbon, all told, aimed at him. He substituted quickly, hey; they were spread out and damn well aimed, as they pierced through the log, as he sensed movement behind him, he jumped forward and spun around, just in time to deflect several kicks that came from Naruto. The boy's arms seemed to be dead at his side, and his face was dead, eyes ice cold. The boy's battle mode was on full blast, and for some reason Kakashi was getting worried.

"Oh? I figured that you were smarter than to take a Jonin head on."

"Under normal circumstances I would not, but both of my teammates refuse to work with me. So I have no choice, it is either this, or set my training back a year." Kakashi raised his visible eyebrow.

"Well, come on." Naruto charged forward, hands still seemingly dead by his side, launching a kick that Kakashi blocked with both hands, surprised by the lack of force behind it, until he started spinning and landed a kick on Kakashi's head, Hard. Or would of, if Kakashi hadn't of substituted with a friendly log, which was promptly smashed. Turning his head towards Kakashi, he shrugged

"A simple feint, but always worth a shot." 'A simple feint? With the way that kick looked like it was going to hit, he had put all his strength behind it! Yet there was barely any! How much has he trained his Taijutsu to fool me? Admittedly I was underestimating him, but still!' Naruto charged again, this time going in with a…Konoha Sennpu? Where the hell did he learn that? As Kakashi ducked the kick, Naruto's left hand snapped out, and Kakashi only saw a glint of steel before his shoulder was cut. Kakashi lashed out with his right hand, which Naruto met with his foot, and kicked against it using Chakra, allowing him to back flip backwards, and during a flip, he filled Kakashi's arm with senbon needles. Landing, both arms dead at his side again. He cocked his head to the side,

"You should probably step it up from genin, Mr. Mud clone." The clone smirked, and dissolved into mud. Kakashi came out from behind a tree, unharmed. This time Kakashi was the one to charge at Naruto, and launched a punch, followed by another, a third, then a kick, all at high Chunin speed. Naruto dodged all of them, shocking Kakashi. 'I know he's not that fast…his eyes!'

Naruto's eyes, from the moment he began dodging, and maintained it still, had taken on an incredibly focused appearance, the pupil shrinking down to a small dot in the rest of the eye. If Kakashi didn't know better, he would say they were eagle eyes put into the boy. Kakashi speeded up to low Jonin, causing Naruto to frown, and barely dodged the multitude of strikes that Kakashi sent at him. Several minutes of that, and the two separated, Naruto panting, Kakashi only lightly breathing.

"You're pretty good for a Genin, you have not been hit yet, but I'm moving faster than you, by quite a bit. How are you able to dodge me, but not use your hands or arms at all?" Naruto merely looked at him, and drew a plain Ninjato in his left hand, while his right remained at his side. Kakashi's visible eyebrow rose, stating

"You still want to fight? You do realize you can't beat me right?"

Naruto's head lowered, and then he leaped forward. Left slash, dodged, right upper diagonal slash, dodged, countered with upper left slash from kunai, dodged by Naruto and retaliated with a hail of senbon from his right hand. Kakashi deflected them, and was about to leap forward when the alarm rang.

The pair leaped apart, Naruto replacing his weapons, attaching chakra strings to the senbon he had used and bringing them back to him, having to do this for only a few seconds, seeing as he used but a few, the rest were shadow senbon he had cloned from the original. Nodding to Kakashi, the pair walked back to the original clearing like nothing happened.

"So, care to explain how you were able to keep up with me and counter? No one else your age could do so, no matter how fast." Naruto looked at his sensei, stating "If I can see it, I can dodge it." Kakashi looked at Naruto for more details, but none were forthcoming. The older man shrugged, then said

"You go wake Sakura, I'll dig up Sasuke." Naruto nodded, and in a matter of minutes everyone was gathered in the original clearing, around the three logs, while Kakashi tied…Naruto to the pole, speeding behind him faster than he could see, and knocking him out, then tied him up and woke him. Naruto shook his head and asked,

"Any particular reason you tied me up? Considering I was the only one to get a bell." Standing shocked for a minute, everyone looked at Kakashi's belt, only to find a bell missing. Five eyes widened, and Kakashi moved to untie him, only for Naruto to replace himself with Sakura.

"You neglected to restrain my hands." He stated, while pulling out the missing bell. "When did you get that?" Kakashi asked, truly puzzled.

"I got it right before I confronted you, when you passed a tree. You were not expecting it; therefore you did not sense it. Genjutsu is a powerful force." Naruto stated, with a little pride. Kakashi's visible eye widened, 'I was caught in a Genjutsu? Naruto is a Jinchurikki! At this point, he should not have anywhere near enough chakra control, now or ever to use Genjutsu! Much less one without him sensing it!' "Alright, Naruto is the only one of you guys to pass…"

"Give me the bell dobe. You do not deserve it!" Naruto cocked his head, "Do not deserve it? If I gained one of my own merits, then surely I should deserve it, correct?" Sasuke stood there glaring at him. "I will have that bell, if not from him, then from you!" 'This is not the way I would rather get it, but he's no match for me, and the Jonin is too good.' Sasuke charged him, only to be tripped and sat on by the Jonin.

"Care to explain why you tied me up, Kakashi?" "Felt like it." Naruto merely nodded, and sat down after cutting Sakura free. "I am too bored to continue this, so you all pass.

The objective was teamwork, which only Naruto got if Sakura's screaming was any indication, so normally I would fail you all. However, I have been directed to pass you all whether or not you should of, so I am not even going to bother with the next part. Just take a look at that stone" everyone looked where he pointed, the memorial stone.

"Everyone on there is a hero to this village, heroes who fell in battle in the service of this village. Some of them could have been saved, if everyone in this village followed a simple thing. 'Those who break the rules are trash, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash.' Got me? Sasuke, you took me on without thought for your comrades, they could have been killed. Sakura, you insulted and belittled your comrade, without thought or even reason, and gave away your position. Naruto, you tried your best to get them to work together, but they refused, so you continued on the mission, achieving your objective, even if it was not the way it was supposed to be obtained. So, therefore, you should be the only one to pass, but you're not because of external manipulation. So you all pass, meet me here tomorrow at 7 am. Ja ne!" and with that, Kakashi left.

Naruto began to leave, but a yell from Sasuke stopped him.

"Dobe! Fight me!" "Why?"

"I am an Uchiha, elite, yet was unable to get a bell. Furthermore, there remains the matter of team leader when Kakashi is not there. We shall fight for pride and leadership." Naruto, shook his head, but turned around and took a position, arms once again dead at his side. "Any limits?" "No." Naruto nodded. For near ten minutes they stood there, Naruto merely bored, Sasuke impatient. Sasuke finally had enough, and charged him. He launched a punch at Naruto, who dodged, launched a side kick, which Naruto's right hand snapped up and caught the leg, causing Sasuke to grunt. Naruto looked up.

"It's over." And his left hand sped forward in a punch, hitting Sasuke in the balls, and while he was…occupied with pain… he knocked Sasuke to the ground, on his knees, grabbing both arms by the elbow joint and locking them with his hands, which held two kunai to the back of Sasuke's neck. (Master lock with Kunai.) "Yield." Sasuke refused for some reason, so Naruto knocked him out by reversing the Kunai, and left him lying on the ground, Sakura soaking the front of his shirt with tears and screaming for him to wake up, as Naruto walked away ignoring her.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Kakashi was having a good day, better than he had for a while anyway. It started off with him sleeping in till seven thirty, a luxury that Kakashi rarely afforded himself. Then he found out that there was a surprise release of Icha Icha sent out today, thereby making his day even better after the extra sleep. About eight he went to say hello to Minato, Obito, Rim, and Sakumo, his adoptive father, teammates, and father. Arriving there, he once again found Naruto eating breakfast in front of the memorial stone, back against the tree.

This time the boy had a delicious looking food with an even better smell. It looked like a sugary piece of toast, drenched in maple syrup and was being eaten with a fork. Naruto nodded a greeting, and unsealed another plate and held it out to him with a knowing smile.

"Thank-you." Another nod was his response. Trying this new dish, Kakashi once again felt like he was eating food from heaven. '_Where have these dishes been all my life? Only two of them so far and I want more!'_ was his thought.

Finishing the meal, the two sat in companionable silence for a while, both lost in their thoughts while looking at the memorial stone. After a while, Kakashi turned to face Naruto, needing a few questions answered.

"So, Naruto, feel up to satisfying my curiosity today?" He spoke in his usual lazy tone. The blond across from him raised an eyebrow, but shrugged. Kakashi took this as acceptance, and so asked his questions.

"I have several questions I would like answered. First, just how strong are you? I have yet to meet a fresh genin that could handle a Jonin, even if I was only at low Jonin level." Naruto was silent for several minutes, just looking at Kakashi, judging him.

"I have trained my ass off for several years, in every shinobi skill I could find. If I was to give an accurate estimate, I would say low chunin because of lack of fighting experience." Kakashi nodded.

"What are your best and worst areas, and what level are you with each skill?" Kakashi asked.

"My best is my kenjustus, whether with my single ninjato or two basic tanto's. My worst will always be medical jutsus."

"Why? You obviously have the chakra control necessary for them, despite the fact that it should be impossible." Kakashi stated, somewhat confused. Naruto gave a slight smile, filled with more bitterness than Kakashi had seen since the day Minato had been forced to sacrifice the child to save the village.

"Did you know that there are three levels of med-nin chakra control Kakashi?" The blonde started off. Kakashi shook his head, surprised.

"The first of these levels is the one I am at, more commonly referred to as the "Battle Healer" control level. This level of control, as the name states, is most common amongst the battle field healers, mostly chunin and jonin who have put some time into learning the medical arts. These people are capable of healing minor injuries, and somewhat healing major ones. If they can not heal them, then the healer can at least keep the injured alive until they reach a better medic, provided the injury is not fatal." Kakashi nodded, he understood this part quite well, having had his life saved more than once by these "Battle Healers." In fact, his teammate Rim was one.

"The second level is the one that is most commonly seen in a doctors or veterinarians office. These shinobi have spent a considerable amount of time getting their control up beyond even ANBU level and can take care of most major injuries and diseases. These are the doctors, and are the most common in a village.

The third level is a level of unparalleled chakra control, reachable by only those are born to be a medic. People like Tsunade or her apprentice Shizune, or even the Heads of the more prestigious hospitals. They are masters of their art, and there have been only three people in history to reach this level without being a medic Nin." The confused look in Kakashi's eye prompted Naruto to list the three. "Monzaemon Chikamatsu, the creator of Puppets, Chiyo, his apprentice, and Sasori of the red sands, the revolutionizer of puppetry techniques."

Kakashi nodded in understanding. He had seen the puppets in battle while commanded by Sasori, and knew it would be next to impossible to replicate that sort of technique. His thoughts were cut off by Naruto speaking again.

"Medical jutsu is, and now I know always will be, a major pain in the ass for me. Before I had no idea why, but because of the Kyuubi, my chakra will never go farther than battlefield healer control. There are continuous fluctuations in my chakra that cause me problems with both control and, for some odd reason, attention span." Kakashi looked confused, in the short time he had known Naruto, as well as the large amount of times he had watched him (never able to spend enough time to watch him do anything important) the boy never showed other than smirks or frowns, a raised eyebrow, or anger in his eyes.

"That part was dealt with, but it was still an irritation. Back to my skills, my second best is Genjutsu. I experienced a great deal of it during my youth," Kakashi felt like he had been stabbed at that, "and I have grown to be far better than any of the ones who hit me with them. In fact, I have developed a rather unique kind of genjutsu. As for jutsu, I know only six, but they can all be used in combat. None are elemental jutsu though." Kakashi waited for a few moments, but there was no more information forthcoming.

"Alright. From the way you fought me yesterday, I would assume you are mid-chunin as you said. However, your speed needs work, even if you could somehow dodge me with as fast as I was going." A small smirk was all that Kakashi got, telling him that Naruto was going to keep that to himself.

"Well then, I suggest you take up weight training, as that will help you with…" He was cut off by Naruto showing a wrist circlet with the kanji for fifty on it. Kakashi nodded, knowing that it was one of the weight seals. Looking at the sun, he estimated they still had an hour left before ten, when Kakashi would show up at the training ground. He took out a scroll, and began writing.

Break

Unlike a certain one-eyed jonin, Shimura Danzo was not having a good day. It had started off decently, with all of his children, the members of Root, returning safely from the various missions he sent them on for the good of the village.

Contrary to common belief, Root was not disbanded, nor did it make emotionless tools. The whole reason for the thirds belief of Danzo turning his shinobi into emotionless tools was because he taught them a "battle mode", where they could _suppress_ their emotions, rather than have them get in the way of the mission. Because Danzo didn't like Sarutobi, his children didn't like him either. So the "battle mode" was always engaged around the man, making him think Danzo destroyed emotions.

'_Preposterous' _Danzo thought. Root was like a large family, considering that every shinobi needed a family. Even the so called "Final Training," where a shinobi had to kill their best friend was only a genjutsu that Danzo developed.

After a short reunion, Danzos day turned sour. A Root member reported that someone he looked out for, Uzumaki Naruto was getting his progress impeded by Sarutobi. In order to understand just why Danzo was looking out for Naruto, one had to know about Danzo's beliefs.

First and foremost, Danzo hated orphans. Well, he didn't hate the children, no he loved the children. What he hated was the idea of an orphan, the idea that a child would grow up not knowing about his parents and would not be able to grow in a nurturing environment. That was why Root took young children rather than taking already trained shinobi, so that the child could grow up in a decent environment. Even now, after Root was "forbidden" from existing, Danzo was still a well known figure the village orphans, taking time out of his busy schedule to visit as many as he could.

Second, Danzo was a man who would do anything for Konoha. Regardless of what it too, he would do it if it meant protecting his village. Because of this, he became listed as the "Yami no Shinobi," an S-ranked ninja despite his age. He lived up to his title too, at least before the Kyuubi attack fucked him up beyond all recognition.

Third, Danzo had been an important factor in the Kyuubi assault. He had led Root into battle with all his might and heart in it, and paid for it with his right arm, as well as ruining his chakra control. Sure, it was still great, but he was no longer stronger than Sarutobi.

These three factors led to Danzo taking a greater than usual interest in young Naruto, the boy being both a Jinchurikki as well as an orphan. Normally he would just ensure that the Jinchurikki was properly trained and was able to use the tailed beast, but with Naruto he was forced to do more.

For the first seven years of the boy's life, Danzo had been kept extremely busy. Sarutobi thought that he had been busy, but Danzo and Root were the reason that Konoha had not been invaded after that debacle. It had been once the Root member assigned to Sarutobi reported in that Danzo remembered him.

Furious at his forgetfulness and failure, he had personally seen to it that the boy got all he needed to when he decided to rob the store that night, even going so far as to place his old ninjato in there for the boy to use. He often watched the boy train, finding a great deal of pride in how a soon-to-be Konoha Shinobi could succeed with damn near everyone in the village against him. Sarutobi preached the "Will of Fire", but it was Danzo who saw the potential for it in this child. He even ensured that the boy "found" a few jutsu to use, as well as making sure that the ninja and store-owners were never around during the boy's midnight raids. He had grown to see the boy as one of his children, even if Naruto had never met him.

So, all in all, it was with no small amount of anger that he walked towards the Hokage's office after the shinobi reported that the imbecile was attempting to stunt the poor boy's growth. Of course, none of this showed, and he was going to give no indication that he even cared about the boy, it just wasn't Danzo's style. He was an aloof, but approving person.

~Break~

Sarutobi knew that it would be a bad day when his ex-best friend, Shimura Danzo, walked into his office with his slightly limping gait. "What do you want?" he nearly snarled, only holding back at the last minute.

"I wish to discuss the Kyuubi Jinchurikki, and how you are destroying one of the village's best potential resources." The war hawks gaze was penetrating and judging, the only person since the Niidamie to make him feel naked before it. He didn't even bother asking how Danzo knew about his most recent order, the man always knew.

"Would you prefer another Orochimaru? After all, Naruto could easily become a threat to the village, abandoning us at a moment's notice." The single brown eye bored into him, making him feel like a mouse before the raptor.

"You know as well as I do that when a student is **properly** trained, a bond forms between the student and sensei. A Jinchurikki needs these bonds in order to control their demon, because otherwise they see no reason to fight against it when the demon attempts to take control. Because of your order to Kakashi, the one potential bond that would be allowed him had been cut off at the source. You drove away your student by refusing to accept that he needed a father figure in you. If you had stepped up to the task, Orochimaru would have never left."

Sarutobi's head bowed, knowing that all that the child had wanted was a father, and Sarutobi had run from it.

"Furthermore, what has happened to your other students? One is a shame to the Leaf, drowning in debt and Sake. The other is a useless pervert who refusing to take care of his responsibilities, even his spy network is terrible. Do you honestly believe that you are capable of preventing another traitor, if indeed the boy takes that path? You are so focused on manipulating the boy that you refuse to see reason."

The old Hokage's head snapped up, eyes alit with an angry fire. "So what would you have me do, give him to you? Have him turned into an emotionless tool loyal only to you? I think not. I am the Hokage of this village, and what I say goes! You are not to have any contact with him!"

The glare Danzo was leveling at him would have killed lesser men. As it was, Sarutobi could not avoid an ice cold shiver running down his spine. This was the man that was feared in _every _shinobi village for three wars running.

"Emotionless tools? At least my projects do not result in failures and traitors." The arctic tone made Sarutobi visibly cringe.

"I may not disobey you, simply because you are my leader, however much I despise that fact, but I warn you now. If you continue this bullshit regarding the village's resource I will take steps to have you removed, and have someone more suitable placed in that seat." The kage's head snapped up, about to accuse him of treason, but Danzo had already turned around and was walking out the door. He paused right before he opened it, leaving one final line.

"I'm quite sure that the Fire Lord would be incredibly upset to learn how you have treated the heir to the man he owes his life."

Danzo was gone before the aged fire shadow could breathe again.


	6. Chapter 6

Naruto looked at Kakashi, who had just stood up after stretching and looking at the sun. "It's nearly ten, so we had best head over to the others." He said, somewhat sadly. Kakashi had no desire to deal with the other two ruining his day.

"How are we getting there?" Naruto asked, as the walk would take ten to fifteen minutes. "Shunshin, do you know it?" Naruto shook his head, asking "How do I do it?" '_Well, Naruto would grow suspicious if I denied him knowledge after him asking for it, and the Hokage said nothing about what to do if he requests knowledge. Best tell him, and I can cover myself later._" Kakashi thought with a glint in his eye.

"These are the hand signs," he went through them "there are only three, and this jutsu is not that challenging. What most ninja have trouble with is the chakra amount required, but that should be no problem for you. Just focus on an area, make the image in your mind as detailed as possible. Oh, side note, try to avoid using this multiple times in a row, it tends to damage your leg muscles with too much exposure." The blond boy nodded, formed the signs, said the jutsu name, and it brought him to the edge of the clearing.

He frowned. "That was nowhere near as difficult as I was suspecting." Kakashi had a maddening smile in his eye, making Naruto think he was missing something. Kakashi on the other hand was marveling at Naruto, even the so-called prodigy's wound up running into something their first time using that jutsu, and Naruto stopped with plenty of room to spare from a tree. "Well, let's go and face the team!" He said, more cheerful at the idea then he had been a few minutes ago.

~Break~

After an incredibly lout scream from Sakura, Kakashi had them start training. Well, teamwork exercises. Naruto accepted it and worked at it, but both Sasuke and Sakura complained about it, Sasuke because he needed power to kill his brother, not teamwork, and Sakura because Sasuke was complaining.

Kakashi sighed to himself, not understanding why those two didn't pay attention during the Shinobi Academy. Iruka went over just **Why** teamwork was so important to a Konoha Nin, and it wasn't just for collaboration jutsu. Famous teams like the Sannin, the Ino-Sheika-Cho trio, or even the famous pair of the Nidaime and Saindaime. Those stories showed just why teamwork was important, but apparently it just went right over those two's heads.

Finally tired of it after an hour with no progress, he decided to start the separate training programs. "Alright, enough!" Sasuke wasted no time in getting away from his two teammates.

"Alright, first, Naruto. Seeing as you were the only one, once again, to put any effort into working as a team, here is your exercise. **Kucyoise no Jutsu: Inu pack!**" A group of dogs appeared once the smoke cleared, and a pug wearing a Leaf headband raised his paw and said "Yo!" Ignoring Sakura's screamed "It talks!" and the pugs indignant exclamation, Kakashi pulled out eight scrolls and gave one to each dog, giving the final one to the pug.

"Alright, genin, these are my summons, headed by this guy, Pakkun." The pug waved. "Naruto, these guys are expert trackers and stealth specialists. They are going to help you sharpen your tracking and stealth skills. Your objective is to find the scrolls that I've given them, and to not get caught. Pakkun will teach you a few things before we begin, and upon finding a scroll, you are to open them. I'll know when you have done so. I expect this exercise to take a while, several months in fact, so do not be concerned if you are incapable of finding them. However, to make it more challenging," here Kakashi regained the manic gleam in his eye "they will also be tracking you!"

Looking at the grinning dogs, Naruto felt a surge of anxiety. "Alright, these are Bull, Urushi, Shiba, Bisuke, Akino, Uhei, and Garuko. The will be tracking you, and so will Pakkun if you last twenty minutes into the exercise. Have fun!" he finished cheerily. Naruto walked off with the eight dogs, feeling like he was walking to his doom.

The happy but crazy glint in Kakashi's eye changed into an evil one as he turned towards the remaining two genin. "Now, let's see what we can do with you." He said, rather ominously.

~Break~

"Where is he?" Pakkun asked, thoroughly frustrated with the exercise. It had been two hours, and while no scrolls had been taken, they had yet to find Naruto either. Not even a glimpse had been found, even those "leads" were all dead ends. If it wasn't so frustrating Pakkun would be happy for the kid, as he was doing something that had only happened with Jiraiya and Minato, avoiding a highly experienced pack of trackers.

Naruto's eyes narrowed, before he jumped, snatching a scroll and was gone before the dogs knew he was there. The process was repeated seven times before he finally found the last scroll, guarded by two dogs and with the other six roaming around trying to find him. Naruto knew that there was no way to get to that without causing a distraction. He drew a kunai and tossed it, far behind him. The sound of it hitting the trunk of a tree was just loud enough for the ninken to hear, and the frustrated dogs all left except for pakkun, who was shouting at them to stay.

"Damn ninken, every bit as childish as they were years ago!" he muttered angrily. "Where are you gaki, I'm ready for you." The continuous muttering made Naruto smirk, and he put his hands in a cross sign to use one of the four jutsu he got from the forbidden scroll. "Kage bunshin no jutsu!" he muttered, an exact copy of him appearing next to him in, without the trademark puff of smoke.

The clone nodded to him, and went about the plan to distract the ninken.

Pakkun shut up immediately, the smell of Naruto hitting his nostrils, and a wicked grin crossed his face. "Thought there wouldn't be any of us here after your little distraction, did you?" He muttered darkly. "Well, I'll just have to disillusion you!" Pakkun ran, silently and swiftly, towards the origin of the scent. Naruto was hard pressed to prevent a snigger at the serious little dog. Still cautious, he looked around for traps. Seeing none, he successfully grabbed the scroll, replacing it with a henged rock that looked exactly like it. Pakkun soon came back, once again muttering darkly about genin who were too talented for their own good.

Escaping to a safer area, away from all the dogs, Naruto began opening the scrolls, in the order that he found them. The first was an explanation of Earth natured chakra, as well as lessons as to how to manipulate it. Apparently the first exercise was to take a round, flat stone and turn it to soil, then back to a rock. Once you could do that in under a second, you had mastered it. Most people worked to the point where they could do it in a few seconds, not bothering with anymore.

Opening the rest of the scrolls, what looked like an entire library of useful earth jutsu popped out at him, at least two dozen. A note popped out of the second scroll that he opened.

_"Naruto,_

_ These are jutsu for your element. I need to focus more on your teammates, so other than a few tips I will be unable to help you. **Learn these quickly!** Knowing the council they will attempt to force us out onto greater missions before you all are ready. Work on your taijutsu especially, and incinerate this note once you finished reading it._

A chibi Kakashi with a peace sign was at the bottom instead of a signature, causing Naruto to sweatdrop. He wondered just why the man would be training the other two, but he accepted it, seeing as at least the man had provided for him. Scanning the techniques, he saw nothing over chunin level except for a mud dragon jutsu, but that one would take an abnormal amount of hand seals to accomplish. He needed jutsu that could be used in the heat of battle, not something that took a while.

Looking over the jutsus, he noticed that a lot of earth jutsus required the user slamming his hands or feet onto the ground. He decided to try using only his feet after he got ahold of it. He began to incinerate the note, but as he crumbled it up he saw a note on the back.

_P.S._

_ Shadow clones return the memories of their lives to their creators upon dispelling, as well as being able to cast jutsu. Happy training!_

Naruto nodded at that, before burning it. He looked up and saw that he was surrounded by a group of irritated ninken, but also with a grudging pride in their eyes. The Pug came up to him, saying "Congratulations, you beat us. We expected this to take months! Your stealth is far greater than we expected, but your tracking could use some work." Naruto nodded in agreement.

The pug smiled at him. "In reward, I will allow you to touch my paw!" He held out a paw, pad up, that was pink. "It's quite soft and pleasant." Quite confused, but unwilling to risk getting bit, he touched the bad with a finger.

His eyes widened as he realized just how soft it was. Pakkun looked incredibly smug at his expression, before stating "No one ever believes me when I say it, and they all wish they had pillows this soft." Naruto smiled at him. "Well, our job is done here, see you Naruto. Oh, by the way, Kakashi will still expect you to be "training" tomorrow with our aid. Despite the fact that you completed it, your team will know no different. Have fun!" With one final smile, oddly reminiscent of Kakashi's eye smiles, he poofed away with the rest of the Ninken.

'_Odd group. Oh well, __**Kage Bunshin No Jutsu!'**_ Several dozen clones materialized, getting started on the manipulation while a dozen more started the first jutsu. Naruto himself did physical training, expecting that the clones would not pass that back to him.

~Break~

"Is everything ready Fu?" came the low voice of Danzo, speaking to one of his Root members. "Hai, Otou-Sama." Was the monotone reply from the Aburame. "We are going to leave the items at his apartment. It took longer than it should of because he has some rather fascinating traps, both regular an fuin type…" seeing the look on Danzo's face that quite clearly said 'I don't care' made him stop. "Good. We can discuss traps later Fu, right now we have other things to be doing." The ninja nodded.

~Break~

Kakashi finished a rather trying training period with his two genin, heading towards the last one, his preferred one. It was amazing how much difference there was between the three. He came into the clearing where his ninken said they left Naruto, only to see the boy himself staggering around in the middle of the clearing, blood leaking from a few cuts. A horrible moment passed, where Kakashi saw his teammate Rin instead of Naruto there, but the flashback was ruined by Naruto vomiting up blood. The crimson liquid spattered the forest floor, scaring Kakashi out of years of life as he was by the boy's side immediately, running one of the many jutsu's he had copied over the years, the basic scanning jutsu, over the boy in an attempt to find out what was wrong.

"I'm…fine…Kakashi." The boy panted out, a little blood leaking out after each spoken word. "Don't talk, you'll wind up killing yourself." The boy, oddly enough, smiled, before roughly saying "Too…much…muscle…training…tore the…hell outta my…muscles. I'll…be…healed…in a…hour." Kakashi looked incredulously at the boy, before assuming he had a concussion as well as internal injuries. He refocused on the scan just in time to find that the boy was right, but in a way he had never seen.

A great deal of malevolent chakra was in his system, rocketing around the boys _destroyed_ muscles, and even as he scanned, the muscles were being rebuilt, thicker and stronger than they had been. "Some meat…would be…appreciated though." Kakashi was about to ask why, but the answer hit him like his own original jutsu. '_Protein!' _He felt rather stupid, considering how fast the boy was healing he would probably heal even faster if he had access to a raw source of protein, that being a major component of muscles. The extra fat would probably go a long way as well.

He put the boy down at the base of a tree, leaning him up against it and spending a moment making sure Naruto was as comfortable as possible, before creating a clone to keep watch and heading deeper into the woods to find game.

~Break~

"What the fuck were you thinking?" Kakashi angrily asked. Cold blue eyes rose to meet his brown orbs, apathetic to his rage and concern. "I did not intend to destroy my muscles Kakashi," he hissed, still not fully recovered, despite the hour he had stated already passing. "Yeah, but you did! What could you have possibly been doing to do that?" It was with a mixture of curiosity and anger that he asked that, as he knew anyone else would have died without intensive medical treatment after that.

Naruto sighed, and started healing what was left of the damage, ignoring Kakashi for the moment. A vein above the older mans eye twitched, but he kept his temper, understanding that hurting the boy would be a problem considering how hurt he was.

Thirty minutes later, the blonde stood, a slightly arrogant smirk on his face. He finally spoke, as he removed a pair of anklets and bracelets, as well as two pieces of paper from the pockets of his coat. "I was training." And the boy vanished from view, Kakashi loosing track of him completely. He whirled around upon hearing an "ouch", seeing the boy reeling from a tree, with the impression of a Konoha headband in it.

'_Note to self: Next time my speed greatly increases, train with it!" _Kakashi was amazed, but still angry, tapping his foot with his arms crossed, waiting for an explanation. Naruto turned around to face him, his usual cold expression back in place. "I was training my speed, and I have learned that the best way to train in anything is with the threat of death near. So I had shadow clones, as well as earth shadow clones attack me, while I was wearing extra weight. Unfortunately, I forgot that I was wearing chakra weights, so they increase every time I get used to them. By the time I figured that out, my body was incredibly damaged and there were several lethal attacks headed straight for me. I ruined what was left of my muscles in a desperate attempt to avoid it."

Kakashi looked at Naruto, thinking '_Not even Gai is that dumb.'_

~Flashback~

Naruto could barely move, as he was wearing a great deal of extra weight. He looked at the dozen clones waiting to attack him, one at the time to begin with, and nodded to show he was ready.

The clone came at him full speed, with all ½ of Naruto's skill and power. Half the chakra, half the power, after all. Ninjato in hand, Naruto waited for the clone, but wasn't waiting long. An upper slash was far too fast for him to even consider dodging, resulting in a sword wound crossing his chest. Another movement had a perfect X in blood across his chest.

Eyes wide and panicking, Naruto swung his blade, the extra weight he was wearing ensuring that it went harmlessly wide from the clones dodge, before the clone stabbed the ninjato into his arm. Blood sprayed onto the forest floor, but this had the added benefit of awakening a creature inside Naruto. The Kyuubi no Kitsune looked through its containers eyes, seeing the brat's idiocy, but decided he had might as well help so that this didn't happen again.

The atmosphere itself palpably tinged with murderous intent, as Naruto's typical blue eyes changed into the Kyuubi's eyes. He vanished from sight, left fist slamming into the neck of the clone and destroying the entire head thanks to the chakra imbedded in his fist. The other clones eyes widened, but one advanced just the same.

Naruto felt bloodlust, for the first time in a while, eagerly killing clone after clone after clone. However, the Kyuubi's chakra rebuilt his muscles as quickly as they were ruined by the quick movements against the weight, resulting in said weight increasing. Two clones stepped up to fight him now, and Naruto's feral grin was countered by gleaming blades.

He vanished, hitting the one on the left with a leaf whirlwind, but was blocked. The clone grabbed his leg and slammed him into the ground, before twisting his ninjato into a reverse grip and stabbing downwards.

Naruto once again felt like he was about to die, but this time his own ingenuity won out. Unable to perform a shunshin, he did the next best thing. Focusing a great deal of chakra to his foot, he kicked the clones shin, releasing it on impact.

In other cases, such as Tsunade, this resulted in super strength. Because of Naruto's lack of control compared to the Sannin, what he got was an explosion that launched him back at a great speed, but obliterated the clone. Many sets of eyes widened, as did the originals. Back flipping into a standing position using the momentum, he landed and attempted an experiment. Dozens of yards away from the other clone, he slammed his foot on the ground, chakra releasing on impact, sending him catapulting at such speeds that even his eyes could barely see during it. It was more luck than skill that resulted in his destroying the clone with his outstretched fist.

Standing at the end of the clearing, watching the dozens of clones, he marveled in his new talent. He stomped again, killing three this time, before the rest of the clones began attacking him. He drew the ninjato from his arm, and went to murder city. Dozens of slash's killed dozens of clones, never a move wasted, even his new speed attack was refined, changing instead from one uncontrollable stomp on the ground releasing a great deal of chakra to ten speedy stomps with a lesser chakra amount allowing him to control the technique, being able to use it on any solid surface rather than destroying said surface.

However, he swiftly grew exhausted, and wound up with four clones at four points around him. His body hurt, every movement screaming at him to surrender and die rather than deal with this pain, but he merely grinned. That sight set the four clones to a uneasy stalemate, rather than test whatever the original was planning. That move turned deadly as he had time to gain the scattered dregs of his chakra for his an even newer technique.

"**Kenjutsu: Earthbound Hawk**!"

Staring at nothing, he barely heard Kakashi's shocked cry. He felt what was left of the Kyuubi's chakra working on his body, and while he knew he would survive, he also knew that he would never do something like that again.

~End Flashback~

'_Now for a name…well, all I really did with it was pure speed, and while I grew to control it, it was always a close shave. Hmm, shave…that will do. My newest speed technique, __**Soru!**__' _


	7. Chapter 7

"A month had passed since the day in the clearing, and Naruto could tell that things were about to get interesting. Or at least irritating.

"I need higher ranked missions so that I can get stronger! Give me a C-Rank at the least or I will go to the council!" came the angry scream of one Uchiha Sasuke. Naruto pulled out a book as Iruka began to scream about something that nobody paid attention to. After a while the Saindame cut him off by speaking tiredly.

"Very well, Team 7 will have a C-Rank mission. Iruka, bring in Tazuna." Kakashi and Iruka looked at the Third like he was crazy. Naruto thought '_typical'._ After all, Konoha would not dare to do anything other than cater to the boy. He had no idea why either, because the boy was a major risk.

Despite his own opinions, Iruka stepped out of the room, leaving Sasuke to gloat to Sakura about how great he was going to do, seeing as she was the only one who was willing to listen.

~Break~

Tazuna felt like this was going to be a success as he walked into the mission room of the Kage's tower. And he had chosen to savor the moment with a bottle of Sake, the first he had had in years. He had had a small sip in the waiting room to help with his nerves, but he was waiting until he met the ninja to properly celebrate. So, it was safe to say that Tazuna had high hopes when he walked in.

Now Tazuna was a pretty sharp old man. People in the Elemental Nations didn't live to be his age without picking up a trick or two, and his father had been a civilian shinobi during the last war. If there was one thing that was always pressed into his mind by his father, it was observation. Regardless of what was wrong with you, keep an eye on the people around you, and Tazuna had found it pretty sound advice.

When he had looked up when the door to the mission room opened, he noticed that the shinobi who collected him seemed rather upset. Not sure why, after all the man had been perfectly fine when he had collected the other person Tazuna had been waiting with, Tazuna got up and walked with him to meet the shinobi who were going to protect him during the mission.

The first one that he saw wasn't one he would trust if he was any less observant. Standing taller than the other people in the room, he was wearing a full body suit with a green vest over it, but there were pants over the bottom of the suit. He guessed those pants were there to prevent anyone from getting an eyeful of anything they shouldn't see.

A facemask covered up most of the mans face, but right above it was a lazy eye, apparently wandering over him. Tazuna, thanks to his father, knew that the apparently at ease shinobi was doing the same thing he was, evaluating the people they were meeting.

A leaf headband obscured his right eye from view, and an odd, with hair-do that looked like an upside down fang made it so that most people would assume he was weak. After all, someone so odd and lazy looking cannot possibly be a good shinobi can they? If that wasn't enough, the Icha Icha book held loosely in his left hand would have certainly completed the image.

However, there were certain keys that Tazuna saw that most people wouldn't. The first was that lazy brown eye. Underneath the façade of warmth, welcome, and drowsiness, was an eye he had only seen on those who had gone to war. Nearly impossible to describe, that eye was hard as steel and cold as ice, only appearing along with a threat.

Second was the way that the man held his book. It was loosely held, but he could tell that a simple flick of the wrist would have that book flying at high speeds at him, giving the shinobi time to do whatever he needed.

Third and final was a sense of unease Tazuna felt. That sense had been with him ever since his father died, and had saved him from Gato's henchman many times. It only popped up when his life could be taken by someone in an instant.

This man truly frightened Tazuna, even more so then the masked people standing in the corner of every room, because this man wouldn't even hesitate to kill him if the man saw him as a threat, yet he could hide it so well that Tazuna knew he wouldn't pick it up if he hadn't been expecting it.

The second person Tazuna saw was nowhere near as threatening; in fact she looked rather humorous. Listening to a third person with rapt attention and happiness, she looked like a puppy that was about to be fed. A pink skirt, pinker shirt, and with her eye blinding pink hair, Tazuna wondered how she could even become a shinobi. She didn't look to strong, in fact she looked rather weak. Whereas every other shinobi in the room had pouches of weaponry on them, she had but one small case of something he didn't think was weaponry. When she spoke it was with a loud, shrill voice that nearly had him wincing, it just didn't fit with his idea of what a Shinobi should be.

The next one was a bit better, but Tazuna still had to stifle a snort. Talking to the pink haired girl was a boy, just a little taller than her, but made taller by raven-black hair that was styled to look like the butt of a duck. Tazuna had to shake his Sake bottle to make sure he hadn't drunk more than he though, because he had never though someone would purposely make their hair like _that_.

Still, he was at least more of a ninja than the girl, as he was well equipped and stood like some of the lesser shinobi he had seen outside, relaxed completely, but would be able to get to his weapons if given notice. He also stood like he had a major chip on his shoulder, and given the way he was talking to the girl, he had grown up with people listening when he spoke. Tazuna made the connection that he had grown up with a noble family.

Yet something must have happened to that family, because even as the boy noticed he was there and stopped talking, he swept his eyes over him, dismissed him as unimportant, and started doing something. Tazuna wanted to say the boy brooding, as he could feel the emo from over here, but at least the boy was still aware of his surroundings, unlike his grandson Inari whenever he went on the brooding trips he had.

Tazuna looked around, seeing the Hokage he met earlier as well as the upset assistant. '_Aren't these shinobi supposed to be in groups of four?'_ His question was answered a moment later when he saw him.

The only reason he saw this kid was because of sun-kissed blonde hair, and until Tazuna focused on him that was all he could see. The boy was wearing a mixture of grey and black that blended in perfectly with the wall somehow, despite the fact that the wall was a light brown. He took one look and knew that this boy was the sort of protection he signed up for.

Where the man was without doubt a skilled shinobi, this one was unique. Wearing grey pants and a black shirt underneath his black Haori, which looked like an overcoat really, as he had thought before the kid was quite talented at avoiding notice. A hilt of some sort peeked out to the right side of his waist (Naruto's right), and a pair of scrolls was on his left. A weapon holster of some sort was on each thigh, and he could tell that the boy could use it all.

The boys hands were crossed at his chest, but Tazuna could see the slight glint of a weapon in his right hand, the left crossed above the right and held in some sort of strange symbol. Tanned, whiskered cheeks drew his attention next, and he followed that up an aristocratic nose to find the eyes of a predator.

Icy blue eyes burned into his own, small pupils reminding him of a hawk, forcing him to shudder, and feeling like the leaf in a storm, Tazuna hurriedly continued his scan, afraid of looking there too long. A Leaf headband kept his blonde hair out of his eyes, the band a solid black rather than the more common blue or green.

All in all, the boy cut an intimidating figure, not even bothering to hide his intentions or lifestyle. The boy reminded him of a hunting hawk, reading to strike down his prey at a moment's notice. Tazuna was eventually drawn back to his eyes and the boys eyes flashed into a real hawk's eye for a moment. Tazuna was the only one to notice this. He didn't want to upset the jonin, but Tazuna realized that he would rather be a ways away from the boy.

He decided he had stalled enough, and decided to play the old drunk man, because he feared he had spent to long observing them.

"So, these are the brats that are going to protect me?"

~Break~

"So, these are the brats that are going to protect me?" came the rough voice from a wrinkled old man.

Naruto looked at him, noticing that the man was a great deal smarter than he was letting on. The man raised the bottle at his side, taking a large gulp from it, before continuing. "We've got a scarecrow, a hawk, a pink shrew, and a duck butt! I thought I paid for…hic…protection." This was spoken in a little slur, giving the impression that that gulp was not the first he had had from that bottle. Naruto's eyes snapped to the man, wondering just why the man called him a hawk.

A moment passed, and then Kakashi was holding back Sakura from trying to strangle the elder man, saying "Ma, ma, Sakura. We cannot kill the client; it's not good for the village." Kakashi looked at Naruto, and the boy saw that his team leader had noticed the same thing he had. The old man was more than he appeared, and he was hiding something.

Tazuna's eyes shifted between the two, before shrugging and taking another sip of Sake. Kakashi spoke to him this time, lazy voice taking on an undertone of danger. "I'm sure that my genin will do quite fine protecting you, and on the off chance that they get into something they cannot handle, well, I'm a jonin for a reason." The word reason was stressed lightly, just enough for everyone in the room to notice except for Sakura and Sasuke.

A sneer contorted Sasuke's features, before he said, rather nastily, "I am an Uchiha, old man. There is nothing we will run into that I cannot handle." Said old man sent him a rather skeptical look, but kept his opinions to himself. Kakashi spoke up again, speaking calmly and without showing any sign of the disgust in his eyes at Sasuke's arrogance.

"I am Kakashi; duck butt as you call him is Sasuke." The boy glared at him now. Kakashi's eye curved up into one of his signature eye smiles, apparently taking amusement in the nicknames. "The so-called shrew is Sakura, and hawk over there in the corner is Naruto." He paused, eye flicking to Naruto and then back to Tazuna, taking a moment to both enjoy the aptitude of the nickname, and to send a message to the old man.

"Stick close to us," his eye flicked over to Naruto again," and we'll make sure that nothing happens to you." Slightly reassured, but upset over the fact that half of the team assigned to protect him was apparently not ready for the mission, Tazuna nodded. The lack of faith in two of his genin was not lost on Sarutobi or Iruka.

Tazuna was not impressed, but spoke anyways. "Very well then, my name is the Super Bridge Builder Tazuna, and don't you forget it! You all are to guard me on the way home, as well as whilst I finish up a bridge I am building." Kakashi nodded.

Kakashi took his hand from Sakura's shoulder, before clapping both together once. "Alright everyone, meet at the gate in an hour, that should be more than enough time to get everything together." Naruto and Sasuke nodded, Sakura took the moment to run out of the room like a headless chicken, screaming about something that was lost when the door shut.

Tazuna looked at Kakashi again, looked at Naruto, before closing his eyes in a brief prayer. '_Lord, I know I was never much of a faithful man, but if you help me live through this long enough to build the bridge to save my people, I will become your most faithful follower._

~Break~

About forty minutes after they separated, Naruto shunshinned to the memorial stone, noticing Kakashi was there as usual. He walked up next to him, the two standing there in shared sorrow for a moment before Kakashi asked.

"You know, ever since you joined my team, every morning I come here you've been here. Why did you suddenly start going, and who are you here for?" Kakashi thought it was a little blunt, but he had learned that Naruto would dance around a topic with the ease of an accomplished council member who had served as a con artist before that if he was anything other than blunt.

Naruto waited a moment, but said "I'm here for my mother." That caught Kakashi's attention, and he only just held out from giving himself whiplash as he turned towards Naruto. "You know who your parents are?" He asked, genuinely curious. Naruto shook his head though, stating sadly "Only my mother." "How?" Kakashi asked.

A bit of a smirk played around the boys lips before he answered. "My last name is Uzumaki Kakashi. I did my research. There have been two Uzumaki's in Konoha before me. One was the wife of the first, Uzumaki Mito, but the second was far more recent. Recent enough, in fact, for her to be the best logical choice for my mother. Uzumaki Kushina, the Bloody Whirlwind, the Red Hot Blooded Haberno, just so happened to be taken off shinobi duty for six months before the Kyuubi attack." Kakashi's eye widened. He wondered why Naruto hadn't found out about his father if he knew his mother.

"Unfortunately, Kushina left no marriage certificate, or even record of a boyfriend. Also, while I do not look much like her, I can see a bit of her in me. Even more unfortunate, I have found no picture that looks me, because I am forced to assume I look more like my father than my mother. This forces me to believe that either I am a bastard child, or my mother was raped. Not much difference there."

Kakashi's eye widened even more; horrified that Naruto could even believe that about his father. He yearned to tell the boy who his father really was, or at least arrange a picture to be shown to him and let the boy make the connections, but Minato had made him swear to let Jiraiya tell the boy. He sighed, thinking he could at least tell the boy something.

"Your mother was neither raped, nor are you a fatherless child. Your father was a great man, and a hero. Both he and your mother died during the Kyuubi attack." Naruto raised an eyebrow, before his eyes narrowed and he glared at Kakashi. "So I am to understand that you knew my father, yet you are unwilling to tell me who it is?" Kakashi winced, visibly. He could barely choke out the yes in response, before he continued.

"It is not my place to…" "Don't give me that crap. Either tell me, or tell me who can tell me. Another wince before Kakashi answered. "I am unable to tell you, but a man named Jiraiaya can." Naruto's eyes widened slightly, recognizing the name. He nodded, and decided that if what he thought actually wound up happening, he would kill that man.

A few more moments of silence ensued, before Naruto spoke up again. "So what do you think Tazuna is hiding?" Kakashi looked over at the shorter blond, evaluating him. He knew Naruto could hold his own against at least low jonin long enough for Kakashi to end whatever fight he was drawn into, with his new jutsu arsenal he might even win. However, if Kakashi got into a fight, Naruto would be needed to protect his teammates, as well as the client. That would be challenging for even someone of his caliber, seeing as if someone was capable of keeping him busy, than any accomplice could attack Naruto and company.

He decided to answer. "I am not sure just what he's hiding, but I do know that it's giving me a bad feeling." Naruto nodded in agreement. "You're going to have to keep an eye on Sasuke, and not just because he's your teammate either. If he dies then the council will banish you…if you're lucky." Naruto nodded again, understanding that it was more likely that he would be executed. The council took every opportunity to cause problems for him after all.

A while of standing in silence followed, before the two shunshinned away to the meeting point, arriving several minutes early.

~Break~

Naruto was used to seeing many things; after all, he was either the invisible Kyuubi jinchurriki, or the evil demon brat that was to be scarred for life in every way possible. One thing he had never seen however was the effects of a pink-haired nuisance on a partially drunk old man. You could literally see the thoughts running through that man's head; these thoughts were '_Do not kill the annoying shrew. Do not kill the annoying shrew…screw it, now she dies!'_

Luckily, or unluckily depending on your point of view, Kakashi stopped him from carrying out those homicidal thoughts by talking. "Okay, has everyone got everything?" His eye looked over at Sasuke, seeing a moderately sized pack filled with gear. He sighed, wondering why the academy never taught about sealing scrolls. He looked at Sakura, seeing a much larger pack filled with what he hoped was shinobi gear, but knew was useless stuff to impress Sasuke. Before he reprimanded her, he looked over at Naruto, noticing no change at first, just seeing a scroll in an inside jacket pocket from his angle. Nodding with satisfaction that at least one genin had common sense as well as being efficient, he proceeded to lay into Sakura.

"Sakura, what all is in that bag?" She smiled at him, believing that she had done good as she began to list the items off, not noticing the growing irritation in Kakashi as she did so. "I have a bit of food, seeing as I'm on a diet," once again not noticing even Tazuna's incredulous look. "I have several sets of clothes, perfume, a nice dress," Kakashi's head sunk. "A few lotions and creams," Kakashi's head rose a little in hope. "For ensuring that I look good," his neck nearly broke with how fast his head sank. Still continuing on oblivious, she listed several other items that had absolutely nothing to do with ninja at all, or even what someone would bring on a trip to begin with, or at least not admit to bringing those items.

Eventually, Kakashi stopped her, looking irritated. "Sakura, give me your bag." Cocking her head to the side like a curious puppy, she was about to ask why, but he held out his hand with a stern look. She gave it over without a word. He walked over to the desk of the gate guards, Izumo and Kotetsu, all the while saying. "Now Sakura, you went to the Shinobi Academy right?" She nodded, not sure where this was going.

"Did you pay attention during said academy?" She nodded again, somewhat happily, saying "Uh-huh, I was top kunoichi of our age group!" she chirped enthusiastically. Kakashi shook his head in despair. "So Sakura, if you paid attention, would you care to explain to me the items a shinobi should bring on a mission?" With a confused expression on her face, she nodded a third time and began to list, but he stopped her. "Basics now, no need to go into detail." Shooting an annoyed look at Kakashi for the interruption, she started off.

"The shinobi basics are food, in the form of rations bars or other healthy filling food, shelter, in the form of a tent, an extra set of clothing, and extra shinobi gear like kunai or shuriken." Kakashi nodded at this, taking in her now pale face as she realized she had only one of those items…well, one set of shinobi items. She had plenty of clothes.

"Sasuke, tell me what you brought." With an annoyed glare, the Uchiha did so. "I have kunai, shuriken, food, water, a tent, two spare sets of clothing, and a scroll from my family library." Kakashi nodded, and turned to Naruto. "Now Naruto, what do you have?" Naruto pulled out the scroll from his Haori, and opened it. Kakashi read over his shoulder aloud to the other two.

"_Food-Two months' worth of ration bars. Several sealed meals, pre-cooked and heated as well as meals that are edible cold._

_Clothing-Three spares of everything_

_Medical Gear-Basic first aid kit, Soldier pills, blood replenishing pills, additional bandages and a pot for boiling water._

_Shinobi Gear-Twenty Kunai, forty shuriken, one hundred senbon, four twenty foot spools of ninja wire, several knives, and a collection of smoke, pepper, flash, colored, and explosive tags and pellets._

_Miscellaneous gear-One two person tent, blade maintenance and cleaning kit, various cooking supplies, a pair of books, and three scrolls."_

Kakashi looked at the other two, before asking Naruto "And I assume you have all of this sealed into scrolls?" Naruto nodded. He looked at Sakura's pale face, before driving the point home to her. "Sakura, what you attempted to bring on a mission is pathetic, and could have easily gotten you or your teammates killed because of your lack of preparation." He glared at her before he upended her bag onto the chunin guard's table, taking off the top item.

"Lingerie is **not** an acceptable item to take on an escort mission Sakura." Everybody there stared at her as Kakashi took out a scroll and unsealed a new bag, full of **proper **shinobi materials. Turning to the assorted items, he ignored the pale and stammering Sakura as he proceeded to talk to one of the gate guards.

"Izumo, please burn all of that at your earliest convenience." He turned back to Sakura, glaring at her. "Next time you attempt something so stupid you will get a lot worse than destroyed property!" Kakashi snarled. Sakura picked up the pack, keeping her head down and staying silent, afraid of calling Kakashi's rage to her again. The one-eyed jonin turned to Tazuna before speaking.

"I am sorry you had to see that, Tazuna-san. I am afraid that we were forced to take this mission a bit before we were ready for it. Nevertheless, we shall keep you safe." The partially drunk old man looked askance at Kakashi, and chose to stand closest to Naruto, evidently the only truly prepared genin there, when the group set off in standard diamond formation.

Kakashi and Naruto talked about various things, but after an hour the two sensed someone watching them. The Cyclops motioned Naruto to the front, barking an order at Sasuke when the latter protested. It was like this that they came upon a pair of puddles, one on each side of the road.

~Break~

'_What in the name of? Are these two idiots? No, check that, are these two academy students? Kai…no they are the so called Demon brothers, Gozu and Mezu, ex-Kiri Nin. Why, in the name of all that is holy, would they disguise themselves as puddles?_' Kakashi sighed, realizing that this marked the end of a peaceful trip.

Naruto's thoughts on the other hand were a great deal simpler._ 'Kai…those two are a threat to the client. They shall die.' _And he did so, palming a kunai in his left hand he waited until he was right in between the two before exploding into motion.

The first thing Kakashi noticed after deciding on a plan to see just how good his genin were was a spray of blood followed by a thud and a grunt of pain, followed by a louder yell.

Naruto reached the center, every sense on edge, waiting for the opportune moment. Then he struck, the kunai in his left hand sent a spray of crimson all over the ground, originating from the throat of the left Kiri Nin. He kept moving, the force behind the slash sending him into a light spin, kicking out the other Nin's legs from under him. Before the missing Ninja could recover he stabbed the kunai into the mans shoulder, resulting in a yell of pain, before yanking out the kunai and placing it at the Nin's throat, his left arm now useless.

Gozu wasn't quite sure what happened, one moment he had been standing, waiting to ambush a group of leaf ninja protecting their target, the next moment his brother was dead, his arm was ruined, and he had a kunai to his throat, glacier blue eyes burning into him, daring him to make a move. All he could focus on were those eyes and his pain, once it truly hit, only just holding back from screaming.

Sakura stared, horrified, at the dead body and her blood spattered teammate, as well as injured person underneath him. She was about to scream at him, but Kakashi's hand on her mouth prevented it. "Look at the headbands Sakura." He ordered, forcing her head to look at the dead shinobi's headband when she didn't comply. Barely able to keep from retching, she saw the four river symbols split in have by a solid slash in the metal. Her eyes widened in realization.

"Missing ninja Sakura, who were waiting to ambush us, preparing themselves to kill. If they had succeeded in it we would all be dead. Dead, Sakura! You signed up to be a shinobi, eventually you'll be the one killing them in Naruto's place."

While this was going on, the Kiri Nin had been pouring out his guts in hope to avoid death, praying that he would live. There was so much he wanted to do, so many things Mezu had wanted to do, he couldn't die here, regardless of what it took.

"L…look, we were…hired by a man named…gah this hurts…Gato…he's paid a hit on that mans head." By this point Gozu was managing to muscle through most of the pain and fear, as a shinobi should be capable of. "The man is angry cause the bridge…builder is attempting to ruin his…control over wave. He hired us to kill him. Please don't kill me; I was only doing my job." Those icy eyes bored into him, seeming to dissect him, making him feel like a mouse right before being eaten by the hawk.

"Is there anyone else?" was a coldly spoken question from the apathetic blond. "Y…yes, there's Momochi Zabuza…former member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist…and his apprentice…don't know to much about her…please…don't." the ninja panted, the fear making him short of breath and he was beginning to go into shock. Feeling somewhat merciful, Naruto slit Gozu's throat, having learned all he needed to know. He stood up, drawing his ninjato and severing both heads before sealing them away.

"What are you doing? Can't you leave the dead in peace?" Was the plaintive question from a disgusted Sasuke, reseeding the Uchiha Massacre again. Naruto looked at him like he was an idiot. "Turning the heads of the ninja you kill in will give you the bounty that the shinobi had on his head, if any," Naruto explained. Kakashi frowned at him, ignoring the fact that Naruto couldn't see it, before admonishing him.

"You should not have killed him so quickly Naruto! Now we do not know if there is anyone else who has been hired to attack us." Naruto now turned the 'are you an idiot' look onto Kakashi before explaining what the ninja had told him. Kakashi felt somewhat ashamed, as he should have known Naruto was a bit better than that.

He turned to Tazuna, demanding explanation and getting a sob story about his home, and how Gato was draining it dry and killing all who stood against him. Kakashi sighed, and was about to say something when Sasuke, recovered from his illness, cut him off.

"We should continue on, Kakashi-Sensei. Our village cannot be seen as cowards." '_The Uchiha cannot be seen as cowards!'_ Both Kakashi and Naruto glared at him, while Tazuna looked at him in hope. Kakashi pinched the bridge of his nose, asking "Okay, who wants to continue on to Wave?" Sasuke raised his hand immediately, and Sakura shakily raised hers. Kakashi heaved a sad sigh, knowing that if he even dared to head back the council would have him ruined. He had no idea why the civilian council was given so much power, but he hated it.

"Fine, we'll continue onwards," he said, worried. The group retook their positions, except Naruto switched back to the left side rather than the front on Kakashi's order, having used a quick Doton jutsu to bury the Demon Brothers bodies. The old bridge builder spoke to him as they walked.

"Why did you kill them?" He was honestly curious, believing that someone as young as the blonde was, regardless as to how scary, shouldn't have to kill. The answer made him think about things far more seriously than before.

"They were a potential threat to you. When you hired a shinobi team to escort you, any proper shinobi would make the effort to destroy any potential threats before they can actually become a threat. It's how you, as the client, are kept safe." Evidently the boy took his job quite seriously, even now Tazuna could tell that he was on high alert, eyes flashing between his normal eyes, and those hawk like eyes that scared him so much.

Despite that, Tazuna was reassured for some reason that this blonde child was on his side, and willing to kill for him.

AN: Sorry for not having the Zabuza battle, but I'm still working out a few kinks with it in my head. I just have trouble translating the fights from there to paper.


	8. Chapter 8

The first moment that Tazuna realized something was wrong was when he noticed Naruto go into what he could only describe as battle mode. His right hand was close to his waist and his left was balled into a light fist at his side, the right making flashes of something quicker than Tazuna could see.

Kakashi on the other hand could see those signs, and easily understood what they meant.

"_We're being watched. Orders?"_

He was astounded that the boy had noticed something he had not, but he channeled chakra to his nose. It wasn't that well known, but Kakashi was a better tracker than most Inuzuka, despite the fact that he used scent to track just like they did.

Scents raced towards him, smelling each of his genin team first, followed by Tazuna. Strawberries and nasty perfume, which was Sakura. Tomatoes, fire, and tears, that was Sasuke. Finally, a warm, earthy scent, with tones of smoke and steel, which was Naruto. Tazuna was surprising, as Kakashi was expecting a strong Sake smell, but instead he smelled like stone and the sea.

Then he found the foreign smell, the one that just didn't fit. Steel, oil, and water, perfectly blended, originating from a short distance away. He was about to give Naruto orders, when Sasuke threw a kunai at the origin of the smell, and he mentally cursed as the scent vanished.

Both Naruto and Kakashi looked angrily at the Uchiha as he thrashed noisily through the bushes, Sakura seeming to forget her earlier disgust and shame as she cheered him on. Tazuna was not quite sure what was going on, but the fact that Kakashi did something towards the blonde before walking towards the other two didn't reassure him. The fact that Naruto stepped closer to him and muttered "stay close to me," didn't help his nerves any either.

"Aww, it's just a rabbit!" Sakura cooed. If it had been anyone else who scared the little rabbit she would have screamed at them, but people do odd things when they like someone. Kakashi stood behind them, all senses on alert, knowing that Naruto's were as well. He would have to find out just how Naruto found the person.

Naruto meanwhile was analyzing his surroundings, more specifically the lake just a dozen or so yards ahead. '_That lake…it's got a great deal of chakra imbued in it. Someone has been preparing this place for several days…and it's water chakra too…damn fine place for an ambush.'_ That was right before he heard the sound of a blade spinning in the wind, noticing Kakashi heard it too if his shout of "Get Down!" was anything to go by. He grabbed Tazuna and pulled him to the ground as Kakashi did the same to Sasuke and Sakura.

Naruto and Kakashi watched as a famous blade, the Kubikiribocho, the decapitating carving knife, spun over their heads, thinking identical thoughts. '_Shit…It really is Zabuza!'_

Both were upright as soon as the blade passed over them, Naruto standing protectively over the client, ninjato drawn and held in a reverse grip in his right hand, and Kakashi pulling up the other two genin with him.

Tazuna got up slowly, pulled up by the boy, and saw a man standing on the hilt of a massive blade.

Standing at just a bit over six feet, with bulging muscles visible all over his frame, black hair framed by a forehead protector, brown eyes above a mask like Kakashi's made of bandages, the man made an intimidating site. The large amount of killing intent he was radiating didn't help Tazuna or two of the genin either.

Tazuna felt like he was about to pass out, when a hand lightly touched his shoulder. He looked over, seeing Naruto withdrawing his left hand back to his side, before the boy looked at him, icy blue eyes staring at him. A sort of mental connection passed between the two, and Tazuna suddenly relaxed.

Zabuza noticed this while he observed the four, and came to the rather obvious conclusion that the Blonde was more than he seemed. Taking in the four, he had originally discounted the three Genins as threats, but he reevaluated the boy, putting him at moderate threat level, deal with after the jonin. His breath caught in his throat, excitement filling his being as he recognized one Hatake Kakashi. He grinned ferally under his mask, thinking '_This will be a great fight!'_

Kakashi on the other hand was cursing whatever Kami he had offended recently. Normally, he would love a chance to fight Zabuza. After all, one did not become an elite jonin without a love for engaging strong opponents. However, one also did not get to become even a _chunin_ by being stupid. Zabuza was one of the former Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, possibly as strong as or even stronger than Kakashi himself. Normally the Sharingan would balance the scales, but his three genin, regardless as to how strong one was, would tip those same scales irrefutably in Zabuza's favor.

"Copy-Nin Kakashi, what an honor! Despite my desire to fight you, I will give you a chance to surrender the bridge builder to me. After all, those genin are no match for me if I can beat you." '_There we go my good deed for the year. I gave the man a clear warning and a chance to survive. Eat that Haku.'_

Kakashi sighed, knowing that he couldn't do that, regardless as to how much he wanted to. He cheered up slightly at the fact of the fight, but decided to not go anywhere near as wild as he usually would. After all, he had his cute little genin…well, one cute little genin and two not so cute ones to protect.

"I'm afraid I cannot do that, Zabuza-san." His eye curved up into a more ominous form of his signature eye-smile as he blasted killing intent. "Although, I guess that I will need to go all out for this fight."

Zabuza shivered in anticipation when Kakashi released his killing intent, _happily_ blasting his own in return. This was what he lived for, one of the only two reasons for his existence.

Kakashi pulled his headband up to rest horizontally over his forehead, revealing a blood-red eye with three black commas slowly circling around the pupil. He heard Sasuke gasp behind him, and Sakura asking "What is that Kakashi-Sensei?" He very nearly fell face first onto the ground. '_Honestly, and this girl bragged about being top kunoichi.'_ The clans and their bloodlines were covered in the first year of the academy!

Zabuza almost got an erection. Almost. Hey, when you live to fight, and haven't gotten laid in years '_damn brat'_, things tend to react like that. "The Sharingan. I'm honored to see it so early! Well, let's begin then…**Suiton: Kirigakure no Jutsu!"** A thick mist, full of Zabuza's chakra rolled in, blinding the group.

"Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, Diamond formation!" The three instantly moved to obey the orders. Kakashi was relieved that they had that much sense. Naruto stood in front of Tazuna, all senses on high alert, waiting for Zabuza to make a move. He died a little inside when he heard Sakura open her big mouth though.

"Sensei, what's the Sharingan?" Kakashi was about to answer her when Naruto spoke up in a harsh tone. "Sakura, shut up. You are in the middle of a goddamn fight! This is not the time to be asking stupid questions, especially when you already know the answer!" Kakashi sighed in relief at that, believing that moment was over. He instantly tensed back up when Zabuza started speaking.

"Eight points. The larynx, spine, lungs, liver, jugular vein, collarbone, kidney, and heart. Now, which vital organ do you wish to be struck on?" These words were accompanied by renewed killing intent, overwhelming the scant protection afforded to the group by Kakashi's and hit the group hard. Sasuke and Sakura started shaking, Tazuna would have except for whatever Naruto did to him.

Kakashi nearly sighed, but turned slightly and spoke to Sasuke and Sakura. "Sasuke, Sakura." The two looked over at him, still shaking. "Don't worry. I will not let anyone on my team die."

Meanwhile, Naruto was trying to figure out Zabuza's plan. '_Why is he even bothering to speak? The silent killing technique is supposed to be exactly that, silent. The user is supposed to rely upon hearing to find even the…slightest…shit. He knows exactly where we are now.' _Naruto smoothed his chakra flow, internally hoping the Kyuubi didn't decide to cause any problems.

Deep inside Naruto, a pair of crimson eyes watched everything that was happening, waiting for the moment its container finally called on it. It needed something to do.

A few moments passed, while Kakashi tried to find Zabuza before he moved. '_Damn mist, how the hell is it distorting the scent?'_ Kakashi finally found him, only to realize just how close he was. He moved at top speed, praying to get there in time.

Naruto knew Zabuza was behind them as soon as he appeared. He spun around, his ninjato catching the man's massive blade and stopping it cold, before Kakashi appeared and stabbed him. Naruto leapt away, carrying Tazuna away with him from the fight.

_Drip…drip…_water droplets hit the ground, and the water clone smirked as he saw Kakashi's eyes widen in shock and horror.

Sakura screamed as she watched her sensei get bisected by a massive zanbato. Zabuza however grinned. '_Water clone huh?_' "So you managed to copy it even through this mist. I'm impressed." And he swung his blade behind him, whirling around with it, watching as Kakashi blocked it with a kunai, even if his hand was shaking.

Now the missing Nin was getting irritated. This was the second time that someone had blocked his Kubikiribocho in one day, and the genin didn't even flinch at his strength for some reason. Of course, the moment's distraction made him pay, as Kakashi stuck his hand through his throat.

'_Another damn water clone…gah!'_ The real Zabuza kicked Kakashi into the lake, appearing next to him. "I have you now," he stated. "**Suiton: Suirou no Jutsu! **(Water prison technique) Kakashi only just managed to get out a gasp before he was imprisoned, unable to channel chakra or move much more than his mouth and head.

'_Damn, he got caught...' _Naruto looked around, trying to find some way to get the jonin free, his blue eyes fixating on the lake. '_What was it I noticed before…Suiton chakra in the water? What was it, what was it…ah, I remember now._'

"**Suiton: Mizu Bunshin."**__A water clone formed in front of the group, and Kakashi yelled at them. "You three take Tazuna and run! He can't move while he's holding this jutsu, and a water clone can only go so far from the original!"

Naruto felt like he was being taught by an idiot. '_If we leave, and he kills you, just how the hell do you expect us to outrun him?'_ He was about to make his move, but Sasuke charged the water clone. He sighed, but made a mud clone to keep an eye on Tazuna as he strode forward.

Sasuke was persistent enough to keep the water clone busy, even if he couldn't beat it, allowing Naruto to walk up to the water's edge. Both Zabuza and Kakashi looked curiously at him as he picked up a double handful of dirt before sitting down.

'_Turn the dirt to a rock, the first step of Earth manipulation.'_ He opened his hands to reveal a rock about the size of one and a half of his hands. '_Next, raise a barrier under the water_.' His hand flashed out, the other one going through three seals as he threw the chakra charged rock at Zabuza, who slapped in down into the water, just like Naruto thought he would. _Now I wait, for one single minute._'

Zabuza was confused. "What the heck are you doing Gaki?" He saw the blonde smirk, and then he felt something underneath him. His eyes widened in horror, and he only just managed to jump out of the way before a miniature whirlpool appeared underneath him. Kakashi, standing next to it now, jumped out of the way before he got sucked in.

He looked over at Naruto, along with Zabuza, both stunned and curious. There was no jutsu that could make a miniature whirlpool! Kakashi shook his head, ignoring that for the moment, turning back to Zabuza. It was time to finish this.

~Canon Battle~

Naruto was carrying an unconscious Kakashi to his bed, and, lo and behold, the man awoke as soon as he was in a comfortable place. He started to question Naruto, but the boy cut him off with a question of his own.

"Why are you faking chakra exhaustion?" Kakashi looked at him curiously, but tried to deny it. "Don't bother, I can tell you are not as exhausted as you portray. Earth nature, remember?" Kakashi cursed mentally, he had forgotten that those with strong enough earth natures could tell when someone was hurt or exhausted.

There was a reason the best medics had earth chakra natures.

He sighed heavily before beginning his explanation. "It originally started right after I got my Sharingan. If I spent more than thirty minutes using it I was exhausted. My growing fame wound up in other villages sending assassins after me, and it wasn't long before they found out about my little problem. I decided to use it to my advantage, and once I got better with my Sharingan I kept acting like I was exhausted, despite my chakra increasing enough that it didn't matter. I can't tell you how many people have been caught off guard by the fact that I didn't pass out when I was supposed to."

Naruto nodded before saying "I always thought that a renowned Ninjutsu specialist having only a high chunin level of chakra was suspicious." Kakashi gave a wry chuckle.

"Yes, I actually have low Kage level chakra, but because anyone who finds out dies soon afterwards, well, only the Hokage, Guy, and you know now. Now for you to answer my question. How the hell did you manage to make a whirlpool with a Doton jutsu?" This time it was Naruto who chuckled.

"Tell me Kakashi, how much do you know about water chakra?" The man frowned underneath his mask, noticing a bit of a hole in his knowledge. "I know only the basics, I focused of Katon, Raiton, and Doton seeing as those were my affinities and we were at war with Iwa." Naruto nodded. "Do you know how a whirlpool is naturally formed?" Kakashi shook his head.

"First, a whirlpool is formed when there is an obstruction of currents in a large body of water, more specifically fast moving currents in the ocean. This obstruction can be anything, but it is usually unnatural. With me so far?" The older man nodded.

"Now, did you notice that your water jutsu were both faster to form, as well as more powerful and less chakra consuming?" Another nod. "That is a sign that someone was preparing that battlefield. A body of water, when imbued with a great deal of Suiton chakra, will have that effect on jutsu. Most water jutsu are a bit slow to form, but this was developed to make them almost as fast as lightning jutsu." Kakashi nodded, that much made sense.

"Now, chakra makes things go faster. It is one of the most basic tenants of using chakra. Otherwise Doton jutsus just wouldn't work. We would never be able to make the earth move fast enough without it.

Imbuing a body of water with Suiton chakra makes the currents run faster, a great deal faster. You may not see it on the surface, but that is waters greatest threat. It appears calm and collected on the surface, but underneath the currents will rip you away from your foundations and crush you.

At the deepest part of that lake, my Earth nature helped me learn that there were two currents, meeting at a point right below where Zabuza stood. It was a rather large stroke of luck actually. Using the **Iwane Banpu** (rock bump) jutsu, I created a prism like shape underneath Zabuza. That jutsu is mainly used on unaware imbeciles to trip them, as the rock is somewhat slow to rise, but it worked just as well in this case."

Kakashi's eye lit up in understanding. "Creating the blockage that impeded the two currents, therefore creating a whirlpool! Brilliant…but why didn't it last all that long?"

Naruto looked at him, showing a great deal of seriousness. "I could have made that whirlpool a great deal bigger, but I didn't. All I needed was that little bit, for a short amount of time. In fact, provided someone can hold their breath, that wouldn't have even killed them. Also, I could only put a small amount of chakra into that rock. I still am learning."

Kakashi let loose an ominous eye smile. "Well then, I'll just have to make sure my clone trains you into the ground so that you can master your Doton Ninjutsu."

AN: Okay, a guest reviewed my story, claiming that there was no council. I implore you to read. I took a rather common idea and turned it into my story. Most stories have the third as a good, if spineless man who rolls over to the _council!_ Second, you reviewed chapter seven. By this point, it's kind of obvious that Danzo does want a powerful Jinchurikki.

As for Cobra0000, well, I have not decided whether or not he will leave the village. I want him too, but then I don't want him too. However, if you do want him to leave the village, all of you please review and specify where you want him to go.

Thank you all for reading.


	9. Chapter 9

"Alright Naruto, what do you think you can train the most in one week?" Kakashi asked Naruto, curious as to his progress in choice. Naruto looked at him, asking a question before getting started.

"I will answer that in a minute. First though, why is this the first time you have trained me, despite you giving me a jutsu library? And second, why is this only a clone of you?" Kakashi sighed, not really wanting to get into this at the moment.

"The Hokage ordered me not to teach you anything useful." Naruto gave no reaction, cerulean eyes staring apathetically at him. "Of course, seeing my reaction to the news, the man is probably thinking he should have been a lot more specific with that order, seeing as he said nothing about letting you find jutsu during an exercise, or having my clone train you while outside the village. I'm looking for every loophole that I can get." Naruto nodded, and started to answer Kakashi's earlier question.

"I can train a lot of things in one week thanks to shadow clones," Kakashi nodded in agreement. "However, I think that I need to work on two things. First is to get my jutsu library to the point where I can use them in battle, that means refining them, increasing my speed in using them, cutting down on hand signs, and using one handed seals with them." Kakashi looked a little shocked.

"You can use one-handed seals?" Naruto nodded. "Anyways, the second thing is to work on my kenjutsu, I need to improve that a great deal." Kakashi looked at him curiously. "That reminds me, how did you manage to stop Zabuza's zanbato? Even I had trouble doing that." Naruto looked at him, somewhat amused.

"Earth Chakra." Seeing Kakashi's stunned and disbelieving look, Naruto sighed before taking out a kunai. He charged it with Doton chakra and threw it into a tree.

Kakashi's eye followed the kunai, widening in shock as the kunai, instead of penetrating as it should of, left a massive dent in the tree, the wood exploding away from the kunai.

"Let me guess, like most others, you thought that because there was no obvious benefit, like cutting or burning, you thought earth chakra was useless, am I right?" Kakashi nodded dumbly, gaining another sigh.

Naruto started his explanation. "First and foremost, earth chakra is possibly the most versatile chakra. While we who have earth natures cannot cut like wind, burn like fire, shock like lighting, or flow like water, we have several things to our advantage."

"But earth is considered the weakest element after water, after all the earth nature control exercises are the easiest to master, even if you have an opposing element." Naruto snorted at Kakashi's ignorance.

"Wrong. What most people don't seem to realize is that it's damn near impossible to master an element. The first two exercises are to master _manipulating_ an element. There is a third and a fourth exercise that is a great deal harder. For example, earth's third exercise is to master using iron. Once I finally finish that, I'll be able to make weapons in the middle of battle, my jutsu will be so much stronger, and other benefits." Kakashi was stunned, he had never even heard of these.

'_I guess it wasn't him who left those books in my apartment after all.'_ "Earth's forth element seems damn near impossible to me, seeing as I do not have a bloodline." Kakashi looked at him, curious.

"For most of Earth's techniques, one needs to be calm, cool, and collected. This set of techniques brings out the heat in everyone. Once I complete the fourth exercise, I will be able to use lava." Kakashi felt like he had been punched.

"Admittedly, I will never have the control over it that someone with a bloodline would, but that won't really matter with lava now will it?" Blue eyes gleamed for a moment in anticipation.

"Once all four exercises are mastered, something that takes several _lifetimes_ mind you, only then can someone claim mastery over an element. However, I'm getting off topic. Earth jutsu, when used correctly, are more defensive in nature than offensive. In fact, even the more offensive ones are best used to counter attack, such as the **hell zone rock shard, **or **stone spear.** Also, to make up for this, we have a multitude of the more offensive "Dragon" type jutsu, such as mud dragon, mud dragon bullet, Earth dragon, Earth dragon blast, Earth dragon god blast, and the most powerful Lava Dragon Explosion technique." Kakashi felt like his head was spinning. He had never even heard of four of those jutsu.

"Now, for channeling Earth chakra into weapons, it can do one of two things, like wind can either cut or penetrate. The first, as you saw, would cause an explosive amount of blunt force trauma, the amount one is able to channel depending on the person's skill and the weapon used. Like kunai caused that, whereas a senbon would only break a bone." '_Break a bone? Only?'_ Kakashi was beginning to regret not experimenting with the various chakra natures.

"The second choice, depending on the way you form the earth chakra, allows…" "Wait, wait, wait…form the earth chakra?" Naruto looked annoyed at the interruption. "Yes, formed. You do know the two types of jutsu? The ones where you can channel a set amount of chakra and then let it go and the other one where you have to channel a continuous amount of chakra for the entire duration of the jutsu? Same principle."

Kakashi nodded in understanding. "This one takes up more chakra to use, but that's not much of a problem for me. With continuous channeling of Earth chakra, well, I'm not really sure how to describe it. Basically, the penetrating power is increased because of added weight to the weapon. I'm not sure how it works, or just how the extra weight doesn't affect the throw or stab, but there are still a lot of things I don't know.

Besides that, Earth jutsus are used to control the battlefield. If I have the time to use the jutsu, in an area I'm not afraid of modifying, I can control the entire pace and pattern of whatever fight I am in."

Kakashi felt like an idiot. In fact he felt like most of the shinobi world was made up of idiots. So much can be done with chakra, and apparently they have barely scratched the surface.

"How did you learn all this Naruto?" The boy decided to keep a few things to himself for a moment. "I learned some of it in a few books I found" '_Not exactly a lie.' _"And the rest of it I learned from experimenting. I didn't even use my clones for that either, so there is no reason for people not to know this." Kakashi sighed.

"Well, let's get started." And the training began.

~Break~

It had been a long week for Kakashi. Training Naruto, well more accurately training with Naruto seeing as he learned quite a bit as well, had been great, and he learned quite a bit about the boy. Training the other two had been irritating though. Sakura downright refused to train, and Sasuke was to prideful to accept help. Why oh why couldn't they all be like Naruto?

He had actually been worrying about the upcoming fight that was going to happen on the bridge, but Naruto brought up a good point. "What about Tazuna's family? If they run the risk of getting hurt, it's as good as killing Tazuna himself." That point gave Kakashi a way out, on one week and one day after the first fight he and Naruto left for the bridge, leaving Sasuke and Sakura to protect the bridge builders family. Of course, it took a great deal of misdirection, but now he didn't have to worry about the death of his team.

Naruto, under the tutelage of a man with a great deal of experience using Doton jutsus and also a former ANBU had gotten better. Dozens of spars with the man's shadow clone and he had only won once. Experience, greater speed and strength, greater skill, and more jutsu had won the day. Naruto though had become a great deal more resourceful, and had learned many methods to trick a superior opponent.

That day started off pretty good, both Naruto and Kakashi discussing a few things while walking to the bridge. Then things got screwy.

~Break~

"What happened to you?" Tazuna shouted in an anguished voice as he looked at the injured bodies of his employees. "Tazuna….run…Demon." was all that a man managed to pant out before he passed out. Both Kakashi and Naruto whirled around when they heard chuckling.

"Well well well, where are the other two genin? I would have thought that you would have brought them all here?" came a disjointed voice from several directions. A thick mist rolled in as Zabuza spoke, six images of him surrounding the two ninja. "Naruto." Kakashi spoke.

The blonde nodded and flicked both wrists, a senbon piercing through each clones neck, the group dissolving into water. "Haku, you will handle the brat." The masked figure standing next to the real Zabuza nodded, rushing forward to engage him as Zabuza and Kakashi moved to a different part of the bridge.

~Naruto vs. Haku~

"I ask that you surrender, I do not wish to have to kill you." Came an emotionless tone from the masked man. Naruto gave off an odd aura, and she saw the flash of something in his eyes. "I will kill you." It was a simple statement, made in a dead tone that caused Haku to shiver. Haku ran towards Naruto, senbon in hand to stab him with.

'_Disappointing. A senbon, though great for ranged attacks, is not something to use in melee combat.'_ Naruto thought. He raised a kunai, catching the senbon with the edge of it. Haku tried uselessly to push him back, but soon gave up.

"I am afraid that you are at a disadvantage. I have a hand free." Haku stated, hand beginning its first seal. He had no time for any more, as Naruto lashed out with his right hand, punching Haku in the face hard enough to break his mask.

'_What? How did he?'_ Haku could no longer afford to mess around. Zabuza was counting on him. Fifteen seals were made as he back flipped from the momentum, "**Hyouton: Demonic Ice mirrors!"** Naruto's eyes narrowed as a multitude of mirrors rose up around him. He closed his eyes for a second, and when he reopened them Haku gasped, the cerulean eyes replaced by the hard eyes of a hawk. '_A bloodline?'_ He ignored the eyes for a moment, instead beginning his attack.

Haku flew from mirror to mirror at high speeds, throwing nearly a hundred senbon at Naruto. Naruto drew his ninjato, spinning it with his right hand at an even greater speed, deflecting every senbon. His golden eyes narrowed as Haku attempted to recover from his shock. He threw several of his own senbon at him, but they bounced off the mirrors, the cracks they caused shocking Haku yet again.

'_Brute force will work, but now he will not let me get a greater weapon out…constant channeling with senbon will work, but I need a distraction.'_ Haku started moving again, utilizing the full power of his bloodline, over three hundred senbon thrown towards Naruto from multiple directions. '_Shit'_ He sheathed his ninjato as soon as Haku started moving, his hands moving through two separate sets of hand seals. "**Doton: Gou no Doro! **(Mud moat)" A large part of the ground around Naruto turned to mud, except for a small part where he stood. "**Doton: Geigeki No Doro!" **(Mud interceptor)

Hundreds of small mud balls intercepted every senbon, the academy level technique multiplied and empowered until it was more than a match for all of Haku's attacks. However, even while Haku was watching the last of his attacks be defeated, Naruto was moving. A dozen hand seals and Haku was in a genjutsu, he took full advantage of the moment.

All Haku saw was the blonde staring at her as the mud solidified back into stone, returning the bridge to its original state.

Naruto moved fast, knowing he only had a minute at the most. He channeled Earth chakra into a kunai, tying a bit of ninja wire to the ring of a kunai. '_Misdirection is a powerful thing.'_

The illusion on Haku ended just as he finished his move, throwing the kunai at her. Just as he expected, he fled from the mirror, not wanting to be there in case it was broken. Thanks to his eyes and the ninja wire, Naruto managed to smack Haku into the ground with the flat side of the kunai, his hands dropping the few feet of wire and throwing four senbon into four specific points, keeping him from being able to use his arms or legs as her jutsu failed.

'_I'm sorry Zabuza-sama…I've failed you.' _Was Haku's saddened thought as Naruto redrew his ninjato, all twenty-five inches of steel glinting ominously. Haku lost sight of Naruto, the blonde appearing right in front of him, apathetic face filling his vision, and Haku knew he was about to die.

*CLANG!*

Haku opened his eyes, the massive form of Zabuza barely an inch away. "Zabuza-sama!" The man turned to face Haku a little, before returning his full attention to the shinobi in front of him. An angry visage took over his face, as he snarled "Get away from my boy!" And he kicked Naruto into the air, the boy spitting up blood from the force. "Haku, stay back" And Zabuza was off, appearing below the flipping Naruto and swinging his massive blade upwards at great speed.

Naruto's golden eyes met Zabuza's brown ones as the boy spun around Zabuza's blade. Ten one handed seals were flashed through in that instant, and he spat mud at Zabuza after muttering "**Doton: Kajuu No Doro!** (Mud weights) Zabuza was just gone as soon as the first ball of mud left his mouth, Naruto dropping to the ground, the two just ten feet away from each other.

'_If Zabuza's here, with so few injuries, that means he was a great deal stronger than Kakashi. In fact, Kakashi is most likely dead. I need to do everything I can…time to remove my weights and I'll need to use __**Soru. **__I just hope I don't go over my limit.'_

Zabuza moved, and it was only because of Naruto's eyes that he was able to track him. He blocked Zabuza's blade, stopping it completely with his ninjato, but quickly realized Zabuza expected that and dodged the punch that was sent. He could not dodge the knee, and was once again sent flying, but Naruto sent four senbon at the man, who blocked it with the Kubikiribocho held diagonally across his torso, getting sent back several inches from the force.

He looked at Naruto, incredibly curious as to how the genin managed to get that much force behind a kunai. He watched Naruto as he removed wristlets and anklets, and grew amused as Naruto charged him after flipping his ninjato into a reverse grip.

Naruto charged Zabuza, ducking the man's left to right swing and blocking the return one, his momentum continuing onwards as spark flew from the connected blades. He embedded a great deal of earth chakra in his shoulder, shoving the older man back several feet. He flipped forwards, going into a hand stand and bringing a heavy kick down onto the older man's face. Continuing the flip, he moved over Zabuza, landing on the man's mighty zanbato that had been forced behind him, his ninjato ready to stab the swordsman in the neck.

It was not to be as Zabuza jerked his sword out from underneath him, whirling around and forcing Naruto to block a mighty blow, the lack of bracing sending Naruto flying. Zabuza smirked, enjoying the fight despite his anger. "I've never fought a monkey before." He taunted, hoping to make the fight a bit easier on himself. It had no effect.

Naruto landed on the ground, muttering "**Soru!"** and he disappeared from Zabuza's view for a moment, before he felt a great deal of pain from now broken ribs. Naruto didn't stop his attack, even as he hit the ground from his attack he was making seals, saying "**Doton: Rijujou Shougekiha no Jutsu! (**Ground shockwave technique)" to ensure that the Man could not regain his footing. He began another hand sign sequence to end it, but he was forced to dodge a multitude of water needles. He looked over at Haku, who had managed to rip one senbon out of his shoulder with his mouth to regain control over that arm, panting, but satisfied that he had saved Zabuza's life.

Zabuza smirked, knowing that this kid was an even match for him. Sure, he could tell that the boy was nowhere near as skilled or experienced, hell, he was even a bit faster than the kid, but the kid's unorthodox fighting method kept him off balance, and he seemed to know just the right moment to use a jutsu. Still, with his ribs now busted, his movement was impeded, and would have insured that the blonde brat would have won. Not with that jutsu, but he would have won sooner or later unless Zabuza could pull out a miracle technique. It was times like this he regretted not learning the quicker, but less powerful jutsu like this kid was using. It would have obviously helped him in this encounter.

However, with Haku recovering and able to use that water needle attack, he had a chance, not a big one, but a chance to defeat the brat. His musing were cut off as those golden eyes he had swiftly grown to respect opened after a brief closure, and the blonde's cold voice penetrated the ears of both ninja.

"It's over." Zabuza accepted it, but that didn't mean he was going down without a fight. He did feel mildly curious as to how the boy would end it.

The entire bridge felt the chakra that gathered inside the blonde, the force of it blowing away the mist. Golden eyes glowed with power, an invisible wind running through sun-kissed blonde hair. It was time.

"**Kenjutsu: Earth-Bound Hawk!"**

Zabuza saw an apparition appear behind the boy, a pair of golden, feathered wings, a chain binding them to the ground, and the boy with them. That didn't seem to matter though, as he moved perfectly fine.

Haku barely had time to blink before he was beheaded, and Zabuza only had enough time to regret that Haku wouldn't live both their lives for him before he joined the man he considered a son in death.

Naruto panted out, the combination of genjutsu, two **Soru's** in quick succession, and engulfing his entire body with chakra getting to him. Kakashi showed up behind him, looking at the two dead bodies, explaining his absence to Naruto.

"I'm sorry. The mist fooled me into thinking the Zabuza I was fighting was the real one, when in reality it was merely a dozen water clones. However, it was enough to keep Tazuna threatened, so I didn't even think you were fighting anyone but that boy until the mist cleared."

An ominous laughter rolled through the air as both Naruto and Kakashi turned to the uncompleted part of the bridge, seeing a midget and around three hundred bandits. The midget said something Naruto couldn't quite make out, as he was already focusing on a new technique to get rid of the enemy.

His voice rippled with power as he said "**Doton: Shindoryuudan no Jutsu! (**Earth Dragon God Blast)", using the most powerful technique in his arsenal.

A large, bronze dragon head peaked out of the ground, roaring and revealing its solid stone body. The bandits were rather unnerved, but Gato forced them to stay, telling them that they wouldn't get paid if they ran. The disappearance of the dragon gave them courage, and they worked up the nerve to charge.

"Foolish…" the word danced on the wind, originating from the mouth of an icy blond, before the jutsu took effect.

Blasting out of the ground and sending dozens of bandits into the air, the massive body of the dragon revealed itself, obsidian eyes glowing ominously in its bronze skull. It thrashed around for a few moments, crushing a multitude of bandits, before its entire body glowed and it exploded.

The only thing left of the bandits and Gato were blood stains. The control that Naruto had over the technique insured that the bridge was unharmed. Naruto turned to Kakashi, stating "This will be a bitch to explain to the others." Kakashi nodded wordlessly.

~Break~

The scout from the organizers of the bingo books raced to his headquarters, eagerly anticipating the bonus he would gain from bringing in this information. He burst inside; eyes alit with a triumphant fire, yelling "I have news! Let the bingo books print the newest powerhouse of the Elemental Nations! The _**A-Rank**_ _**War hawk of Konoha!**_"

AN: My first big fight scene. Please review to help me make better ones.


	10. Chapter 10

Kakashi and Naruto had spent a little time at the graves after Naruto buried Zabuza and Haku, even if he kept Zabuza's head. A bit of a shock passed through Naruto when he realized Zabuza hadn't been at full strength.

Zabuza had already been dying from a terrible disease, one that had claimed hundreds of Ninja. It was a variation of chakra poisoning, and it only occurred when a ninja had been forcibly injected with demonic chakra. It most often occurred in those who had contact with a bjiuu, more specifically those who fought against a Jinchurikki and lost. The man had been at full strength during the first engagement, but using chakra and not taking the time to fully recover from a near death state had shoved him down to mid-jonin level, high-jonin at best.

Even still, if it hadn't of been for his speed technique, **Soru**, which broke several of Zabuza's ribs that battle would have dragged on for quite a bit longer. He soon stopped considering the two, knowing that there was nothing he could do now except get stronger.

Naruto smirked as he told Kakashi that, as the _responsible_ sensei, he was to be the one to tell Sasuke and Sakura what happened. The fact that he shunshinned away before Kakashi could do anything other than stutter added to his amusement.

He stayed away from his team for a while, just training, trying to get his speed up far beyond what most people think possible. He laughed to himself as he recalled the complacency of shinobi.

One would think, that when you have access to an unimaginable force that can get you anything, provided you work for it, the shinobi would be a lot stronger. After all, most people could already reach high jonin level speed just by channeling chakra into their muscles. It was only the greatest, who spent years and years honing their muscles who could achieve true god level speed, like Minato and the Raikage, along with Gai.

For the two weeks they stayed, Naruto focused mainly on speed and strength, the Kyuubi's healing factor allowing him to advance farther than any other, matching the speed that the smaller spandex wearer had with both their weights off.

That was all he had time for though, as his team left after that. The last thing he heard from wave was the shouting out of the bridges name, this being "The Great Naruto Bridge." He assumed because it was he who killed Gato.

~Break~

As soon as he stepped into the Leaf village Naruto felt something. It was something on the edge of his senses, and if it wasn't for the fact that he was only alive now because of those little details he would have passed it over. As they walked towards the Kage tower to give the report and be paid, Naruto eventually managed to make out a small blur every now and then.

'_Someone's following us…and they are stealthier than regular ANBU. This is not good.'_ Kakashi either didn't notice it, or just figured it was an ANBU, so there was no point in bringing it up. '_I'll keep an eye on it, and if it continues to follow me, I will ambush whoever it is before they get the chance to do the same._'

They arrived at the Kage's office, and Naruto drowned out the sound of his two teammates screaming about how it wasn't fair and how Naruto should no longer be able to go on missions with them so he wouldn't steal all the good fights.

"Naruto, are you paying attention?" The aged kage asked, causing Naruto's attention to snap back to him. "I believe that Sasuke and Sakura have produced a valid point. Seeing as you are as strong as they are, but were able to gain more experience in this mission, I believe that it would be best if you stayed in the village for a little while those two gain experience during missions."

'_I know that Kakashi has been training Naruto despite my orders, that's the only way the kid could of matched Zabuza, even if by his own reports the man wasn't at full strength. It's just a pity that I can't do anything to Kakashi. The man is a powerful shinobi, and it would not be a good idea for him to have an accident.'_

The aged Kage didn't even really care that Naruto could probably see through the plan. After all, once someone got past the grandfather outlook and feeble old man's appearance, Sarutobi Hiruzen was not good with deception. He was a schemer, but he relied upon others to carry out the scheme. That was one of the reasons he let Orochimaru go, most of it was regret, but a part of it was because he needed a scapegoat. Orochimaru actually rebelled because Sarutobi ordered him to do something even he was unwilling to do.

Granted, Orochimaru was a sick bastard. There was no denying that, and he was every bit as evil as he was reputed to be. But even Orochimaru drew the line on experimenting on family. Anko's curse seal was actually supposed to help her fight, unlike every other one designed. True, the others helped the wielder fight, but it came at a heavy cost. Anko's gave her all the benefits with only one negative, that being the exhaustion that overcame her afterwards. Orochimaru was many things, but he was not someone who betrayed family, not after he finally found someone he truly considered family, after his genin team failed in that regard.

It was one of the Saindaime's greatest moments when Orochimaru saw that the one he considered a daughter hated him because of something _he_ had done to her to help her. Those suspiciously missing memories and six months with Ibiki might have helped there.

Back to the point, his lack of skills regarding was also the reason why he had put Danzo on the advisors position in the first place. The man was a master at manipulating others, using every method possible whereas Sarutobi only had a few methods. Lying to someone was one thing, convincing the witness who was there that they saw your version of events was something else entirely.

He didn't particularly care if Naruto saw through it because Naruto couldn't do anything about it. With no one to help him, to train him, Naruto could only get so powerful. Shoot, he wouldn't even be able to master jutsu without experience, wouldn't be able to truly be able to turn his skills into a lethal combination without fighting people to learn how to match his stuff together.

With Kakashi kept out of the picture by missions, the other jonin either busy training their genin, busy with missions, or hating Naruto, and Danzo kept occupied with a few little favors he had called in from a few sources, Naruto wouldn't get any training, or any experience other than D-rank missions.

Naruto, as expected, knew exactly what the much older man was planning. He also knew that he was incapable of doing anything to prevent it, and by Kakashi's furtive glances at him, the jonin knew it too. "Very well, Hokage-Sama." The tone was his usual icy one, with an undertone of disgust, directed at the man in front of him.

Naruto turned and left the room, headed for a private training ground, outside the thirds seeing range while Kakashi tried futilely to change the Hokage's mind, while Sasuke smirked and Sakura continued to try and impress him. It still disgusted Naruto how pathetic she was, but he hoped that her first kill would sober her up and make her take her training seriously.

~Break~

'_That person isn't going anywhere, now I think that the Hokage purposely sent him or her here to observe me. I guess that I will have to delay this watcher.'_ Naruto thought to himself as he devised a way to get rid of his stalker. He looked around at the crowded street of Konoha, viewing the various crowds and street vendors as he walked.

He hopped up onto a roof so he could go faster, a common sight among the populace of the Leaf village. He jumped towards his training ground, the roof hopping allowing him to move a great deal faster than walking in the crowded streets below.

He felt more than saw the ninja following him increase the speed they were going to keep up, and Naruto managed to leap straight onto a patch of earth, knowing he had mere seconds before he was in view again. He made three hand seals, channeling a constant amount of well controlled chakra. "**Doton: Torappingu no Jutsu.**(Trapping skill)**"** He muttered, creating a fifteen foot hole in the ground with a twelve foot diameter right in front of him, covering the top with a very light layer of earth and grass, making it so that there was no difference between the trap and the area around it, before leaping over it and landing right before the ninja came into view again.

He slowed down into a walk now that he was out of the village, ensuring that the follower would not grow suspicious if the observer knew his habits. He kept a small amount of chakra connected to the trap, but little enough that only a skilled Hyuga would notice it. Even then they would have to look for it. After all, it wouldn't be a trap if it was found out, would it?

He heard as the shinobi made the mistake of leaping out, falling through the false ground perfectly. He smiled maliciously, finding dark amusement in the hidden features of his little trapping jutsu. Torappingu no jutsu was unique in the fact that not even chakra could find purchase on the walls, and the floor of the jutsu would allow no purchase for a shinobi to leap out of it. Of course, one could always layer the bottom of the pit with various things with a more lethal intention.

He headed back, to see who it was; using a more basic genjutsu he had created to hide himself from the senses of his new opponent. Inside the pit was a non-descript male with brown hair and basic ANBU gear, a tanto sheathed over his back and a blank mask on his face. The only distinguishing feature was the kanji for "Ne (Root)" on the forehead of the mask. Naruto frowned, he had never heard of an organization called Root.

There wasn't much that he could do, so he cast a sleep genjutsu on the man, and another on the hole, both would last for several hours, so Naruto tried to make sure that they were both quite strong ones. Unused to casting powerful genjutsu, he would not know how long these would last. He made a shadow clone to inform him as to the exact amount.

He walked into the clearing, only to know immediately something wasn't right. He looked around, not seeing anything. He drew his ninjato, channeling chakra and pulsing it out, breaking an illusion on him just in time to block a blade being stabbed at him.

He looked around, thinking '_This isn't good.'_ Other than the one in front of him, pretty much just like the one in the pit a way away, there were also two more of the Ne shinobi, waiting, circling around him like the wildcats around an injured bird. Naruto was given no time to think of a way to escape, as the ninja in front of him proceeded to prove just why he appeared as an ANBU.

Even despite Naruto's training, he was unable to counter the powerful kick that sent him flying, and unlike with Zabuza, he was given no break to recover. The ninja was above him in an instant, kicking him down into the ground with a powerful heel drop. A crimson spray flew from his mouth as he hit the ground, but Naruto didn't even take the time to feel the pain, substituting away just in time to avoid a stab from the ninja's tanto that would have killed him.

He took the precious second and removed his weights, managing to catch the Ne member's blade with his, but was unable to avoid the punch to the face. Channeling chakra to his feet, he was able to only slide back, his eyes going golden in preparation.

The Ne member paused in his assault for a moment, apparently curious as to what the eyes did, and wary about attacking someone with an unknown dojutsu. That was all that Naruto needed to turn the fight around. "**Soru."** He vanished from the view of all three Root ninja, reappearing behind the one who had been attacking, blood spraying from the other ninja's torso. "**Kenjutsu: Bleeding Prey."** The ninja collapsed, blood pouring from the seven wounds he had.

The other two shinobi prepared to fight him, Naruto realizing that Soru wouldn't help him too much here now that those two had seen it. He made no reaction as the two appeared beside him and stabbed him through the heart and the kidney.

The two jumped back as Naruto exploded into dust, one going through handsigns to counter the mud balls coming at them and the other kneeling next to their injured comrade to stop the bleeding.

Having countered the mud shots with balls of fire, the ninja tried to find the blonde, only to discover he couldn't. He supposed that Naruto ran away, and began to use a jutsu that would allow him to track them.

Hiding in the shadows nearby, a malicious, foxy grin appeared as said blonde swiftly went through hand seals. "**Doton: Hell Zone Rock Shard!"** The ground shook violently, dozens of sharp shards of rock rising up swiftly, before piercing right through the root ninja.

Naruto tsked to himself, knowing that was too easy. He replaced himself with a mud clone, hiding in a different part of the forest. It turned out to be a wise decision, as his clone died soon after. He leaned closer to the ground, using another jutsu. "**Doton: Jihibiki Kansei no Jutsu (**Earth Tremor Sense Technique)"

He quickly found where the other ninja was, as that technique found movement, and the other ninja was keeping on the move. Naruto moved to intercept him, sheathing his ninjato and getting a double handful of senbon. '_Three, two, one, now.' _One of the best things about senbon is that they are silent. This was the case here when Naruto was able to put the ninja in a near death state before the root member could do anything.

He hid the body and returned to the clearing, seeing three ninja, one still unconscious, one who looked exactly like the one he imprisoned, and one on full alert, waiting for him. There was also a fourth person, one he half-remembered, an averagely tall man with spiky brown hair, an eye bandaged, and a useless arm.

That man turned around, looking at the exact point where Naruto was. "That's enough Naruto, you've passed my test. Come on out and join us."


	11. Chapter 11

Naruto looked suspiciously at Danzo, curious as to the older man's goals. Danzo had, after the test, brought him to a Spartan home and asked him to sit down, making tea to drink as they discussed. That didn't stop Naruto from testing it for poison.

The two settled in, sitting on opposite sides of a more traditional table, whereas most shinobi had turned to the newer tables from the West. The two observed each other for a moment, the tea sending curls of steam up into their view.

Danzo took a deep breath before beginning, savoring the scent of the herbal tea. "I set Root to attack you as a test." He started, pulling out a Bingo book. Naruto grew confused as Danzo held it out to him. "Page ninety-seven." When Naruto made no movement to open the book Danzo said "Go ahead, you will be surprised." Naruto opened up the book, going to the page.

**Uzumaki Naruto: Konoha's War Hawk**

**A-Rank Konoha Shinobi**

**Bounty: 75,000 Ryu- Iwa**

**95,000 Ryu-Kiri **

**Bounty Plus 60,000 if information on KubikiriBocho**

**Skills:**

**Taijutsu: Unknown**

**Genjutsu: Chunin Level**

**Ninjutsu: Chunin Level**

**Kenjutsu: Jonin Level**

**Other skills unknown**

**Defeated Momochi Zabuza and his Apprentice the Hyouton user Momochi Haku**

**Skills mostly unknown-Approach with caution**

Naruto was stunned for several moments. He scanned the entry again, breathing a light sigh of relief that whoever listed his name was unaware most of his skills, and understated others. They also were unaware of the Kyuubi, and of his elemental nature. His eyes snapped up, meeting Danzo's brown eye.

The man nodded before continuing. "Because of my…status, in Konoha, I keep a rather close eye on up and coming shinobi. So, naturally, when I found out that a _Genin_ had entered the bingo book, and less than two months after graduating, I grew a little concerned. Now I have been briefed on your entire mission as you and Kakashi reported it to the Hokage, and I decided to set up a little test."

The man paused to take a sip of the now cool tea; Naruto did the same, merely to avoid seeming rude. The longer Naruto spent around this man the more he got the sense that this Danzo was not someone he wanted to offend. It seemed like Danzo was a rather influential person if he already knew the entire mission.

"This test was, as you have probably figured out, to discover if you actually are an A-Rank ninja. The result was…disappointing. At best, you are a B-Rank ninja." Naruto's cerulean eyes narrowed. He knew he was no A-Rank, but the fact was he had taken out several of those testing ninja.

"I will admit that my standards are a bit higher than most, but I have good reason. Now, I will make you an offer. Sarutobi has prevented your sensei from being able to teach you, and now he has ensured that you will be unable to advance any farther. I am well aware of your self-study, and I know that you are aware that there is only so far you can go without a trainer. I am willing to help you get experience and additional training."

Naruto's eyes narrowed further, becoming quite suspicious of the elder man. In fact, he even prepared for another attack. In his experience, when something sounded good, it wasn't. Danzo, seeing the boy preparing for a fight, moved to explain further, in his own way.

"Don't get me wrong Naruto. The only reason I am even bothering to train you is because you are the jinchurriki of Konoha. You are a weapon for the village, and by this point I cannot train you the way I wish to, I will be able to ensure that you will reach your potential. By the time the Chunin exams occur I will have you at the A-Rank level."

Danzo's eye held both of Naruto's during the speech, an icy fire lit inside them. He sincerely hoped that the blonde would choose to let Danzo train him, as now that he was out in the world, he would be targeted. Especially by Kiri. They had always been quite eager to regain the blades of the famous swordsmen.

Naruto began talking in a slow, apathetic tone while his eyes bored into Danzo. "Who are you, and how do you know all of this?" Danzo sighed, perhaps he had been expecting too much. After all, the boy hadn't lived this long by trusting strangers.

"Alright, I'll give a proper introduction. As you know, my name is Shimura Danzo, and I am the head of Root. Root is a group of elite ANBU, and was originally the group that took missions that even the ANBU could not take. I pioneered the idea after a terrorist attack right after the first shinobi world war, taking control over the organization.

Outside of the council room, I am commonly referred to as the _"Yami no Shinobi (_Darkness of Shinobi)", and I was actually the original War Hawk of Konoha because of my summons." He watched the boy's eyes lit up in understanding after hearing his first title, but hardening in suspicion right afterwards. He held up a hand, cutting off any potential attacks on his character.

"Judging by your expression, what you have heard of me is not that flattering." _'I had might as well play to his knowledge of me, he will find out what I really am before too long, provided he accepts.'_ The old man thought, trying to word his statements so that Naruto would join. He needed backup for his Root force; otherwise he would not risk his entire organization to help the boy when he was doing perfectly fine by himself. '_Damn shadow games, if I didn't know better I would say Hiruzen set this recent set of movements up just so I would be unable to help the boy properly. As it is I'll have to send him into battle without more than three days of heavy training. At least the boy knows __**Kage Bunshin.**__'_

"However, regardless of what you have heard of me, the fact remains that the shinobi I train become strong. You need not fear that I may, what are they calling it now…ah yes, _condition_ you to become an emotionless tool. You are too old for that to be completely effective. Besides, you have already developed a battle mode, as proven by your lack of emotion when you injured my Root members." _'That surprised me quite a bit, as while those four were not my best, they were in the upper echelons, and to take down three of them, two while injured, ins no small feat. It shows that the boy is an even better shinobi than I expected, and the training I will put him under during these months will make him even better.'_

Naruto was on the brink, understanding that he needed this if he wanted to survive the suicide missions the council would put him on, but reluctant to trust this man. He decided to get more information about the potential gains and problems before committing himself. "What will you be training me in, and what will I be expected to do while I am under you?"

Though he did not show it, Danzo was quite pleased that the boy was not rushing into things, as he knew everyone else his age would have leaped at the opportunity. Taking a moment to collect his thoughts, he began in his emotionless monotone that sent shivers down the spines of most ninja.

"For the first month, I will be focusing on extreme taijutsu, kenjutsu, and using what jutsu you have at the slightest provocation. You have a great deal of chakra, it's time you learned how to use it. In the next three days I will make sure that it will take a fully developed Sharingan to see even a few of your hand seals, and the number needed for each jutsu will also be cut down. After those three days, you will be sent to a territory where you will accomplish a number of missions, allowing you to gain experience. Be warned, these missions will be a matter of life and death, and hesitation will wind up in your destruction."

Pausing for more tea, as well as to ensure that Naruto was absorbing that and had no questions, he continued after a minute.

"By the time those missions are over, provided you survive, you will have learned when and how to use your skills to kill, and not fight pathetically like most genin do. My Root organization will be teaching you various tricks and assassination techniques, and anything on stealth you do not already know. Finally, they will be the ones to increase your pain threshold, taijutsu, kenjutsu, and general knowledge.

After that, you will be trained into the ground in your elemental manipulation while also working on a new set of weapons and jutsu. While your kenjutsu is good, even a ninjato can have problems in tight spaces, and it is nowhere near designed for assassination, which the weapon I will give you will be. This will be the second month, and by the end of it I guarantee that you will be able to complete the third level of Earth manipulation."

Hearing that part, Naruto thought briefly '_So he was the one to place those general knowledge books as well as the advanced books in my apartment. From what little I have seen of Root they are more than capable of infiltrating my home. I will have to upgrade my traps again.'_

"After that will be speed and fuinjutsu training, with the Kyuubi's advanced healing, a proper diet, and a strict schedule I should be able to bring you up to elite ANBU speed naturally, pushing mid-Kage speed with chakra. I am a master in fuinjutsu, so you will be studying directly under me for the duration of the month. Third month will be over.

The fourth month, and possibly most of the fifth, will be ensuring you keep your edge and chakra training. By the end of this time I expect you to be able to control some of the Kyuubi's chakra, and you will know the names and skills of every other nation's jinchurikki. What is left of the time until the chunin exams, which you will most likely be entered in, will be spent on more experience training.

On a side note, you will most likely be sent on missions during your entire training, and I fully expect you to be elite jonin by the time I am done with you." Naruto spoke up now for the first time in a while, cutting into the man's speech for the first time.

"That's impossible. With the level of difference between myself and Kakashi, it would take years to reach that level. Mid-Jonin maybe, but that is pushing it." Danzo finally moved out of his blank face, showing a sadistic smirk.

"Believe what you will, but I assure you that by the time this is over, you will be able to match Kakashi when the two of you are going all out. You might not win, but with the Kyuubi's chakra I believe that you would be able to." Naruto thought it all over for a few minutes as Danzo enjoyed his tea. '_It's always the little things in life that have the most impact. It's like this tea, an ocean of calm and tranquility in an otherwise troubling day. He will accept, and we both know it.'_ The head of Root thought, knowing that Naruto would accept. _'After all, he had no other options.'_

Naruto was backed into a corner and he knew. It was either accept training under someone who had obviously had him watched for years, and grow stronger, or refuse and most likely wind up being assassinated once the Third finally accepted that he would be unable to convert him to the village. _'I had better go with his option. It will allow me to grow stronger and gain a better understanding of how the darker side of a village works, hopefully putting me closer to my own goals.'_

As was inevitable, Naruto said yes, sealing the deal and putting him in for five months of pure hell.

AN: North Carolina, one of the only states to do a graduation project. Between that and a new story that's clamoring to be released, I won't be updating as often for the next month or so. Sorry.


	12. Chapter 12

Naruto was having a rather bad day. It had even started off badly. He tsked to himself as he substituted with a log to avoid a flaming dragon that would have crushed him, remembering just how this day had gone all wrong.

~Break~

Naruto was having a fairly pleasant dream, rather than the nightmares that usually ravaged his slumbering body. He wasn't too sure of the details, more of a pleasant general sensation. He was rather rudely woken by an explosion.

Naruto rolled up off the ground, ninjato already drawn and senbon in his left hand, dream closed off in his mind. He took in the many things around him with golden eyes, seeing the Root members he had been camping with fighting off an attack from some unknown force.

He only had a moments warning before one was on him, the man's katana swinging at his neck in an attempt to take his life. Naruto ducked the blow, the force behind it causing the man to stumble, allowing Naruto to remove the offending arm holding the katana with his unnaturally sharp ninjato. The man had no time to even scream before a chakra charged senbon broke his neck, killing him instantly.

Naruto let loose the breath he had been holding, moving as he had learned over the past month to kill, rather than injure as he had previously preferred. He took down several distracted shinobi, their lack of minding their surroundings turning out to be their downfall as neck after neck was snapped by his earth charged senbon.

Two men approached him, moving at mid ANBU speed, making Naruto thankful he no longer wore weights while on missions. The two worked in perfect tandem, the kunai held in their hands proving to be a deadly threat.

One went high and the other low, both kunai out for blood. Unable to block both, Naruto gave ground, jumping back and throwing the last of his handful of senbon to give him a moment to breath. That proved to be unsuccessful, as the two dodged the senbon and clashed with him, Naruto managing to block the two kunai with an arm guard.

Naruto smiled maliciously, even as the two began to move back, knowing that they were in trouble. Their guts spilled on the ground, the putrid smell causing most of the fights to pause for a moment as the shinobi took a moment to readjust, that moment proving fatal for several Root members and Unknowns alike.

He flipped his ninjato into a reverse grip, raising it just in time to block a slash from above. What he didn't see were the talons that struck his shoulder, drawing blood and sending him tumbling to the ground. He continued the movement, rolling back and using his ninjato to catch another blow, keeping him on one knee as someone else's knee slammed into his face, most likely breaking his nose.

He kept himself steady this time, using a pulse of chakra to explode upwards and knock the man attacking him back, stumbling backward, blade still ready to catch any attack. Naruto took the moment to regain his footing and analyze his newest opponent.

The man was of average height, the standard "secret force" non-descriptive thing, hair most likely dyed brown, blank ANBU mask, and a katana in his hand. The only odd thing about him was the fact that he was standing next to a large hawk, about shoulder height to him, and the Hawk was glaring at the blond. Naruto narrowed his eyes underneath his own mask, realizing that the man had a summons. He was dangerous.

The man moved, vanishing from even Naruto's advanced eyes, the only warning that he was gone was a gust of wind as the hawk took to the air, flying up and hovering over the fight. Naruto knew that the creature would take any opportunity to attack him.

Naruto was cut from his thoughts by a foot breaking one of his ribs, sending him flying. His eyes met the other man's, and the man seemed to smirk before vanishing again. A wind bullet flew at Naruto from the hawk, and only a timed substitution prevented it from smashing him to bits like it did the log. As soon as he recovered, he saw a massive, fiery dragon coming down on him. '_This is turning into a bad day.'_

~End Flashback~

The man and the hawk watched the conflagration caused by their combination jutsu with no small amount of pride, the arrogance that seemed to affect many shinobi affecting them both as they watched what was left of the boy they had been fighting burn to nothing. The brown haired man turned away, but the hawk remained, something tickling the edges of his senses. If hawks could frown, this one would have been, as it was obvious that it was displeased. It came to the answer about the same time the problem it was trying to solve resolved itself, causing quite a bit of chaos.

Senbon flew towards the hawk, which was blown away with only a wing, but that left the creature open to a new attack, one it hadn't expected. "**Soru!"** An invisible thing blurred past the hawk, and a moment later the hawk felt the wound. Its eyes widened with shock and a little respect, as only the very fastest could avoid a hawk's eyes. The summoned hawk cracked a grin, wondering if it had found a new, skilled summoner before it dispelled from the injury. The hawks in general had been disappointed in the group of summoners they had been serving for a while, despite the man being the most recent and the last. It hoped that if they gained a new summoner, this one would actually take the time to listen to them. The hawks had so much to teach a summoner, provided the shinobi in question actually wanted to be a shinobi rather than a glorified samurai.

The man turned around, seeing an image that would frighten many lesser men. A huge fire flickered in the background, casting the front of the boy in shadow. Formerly black clothing was stained red with blood, the blank white mask now decorated with the crimson spray. The boy's Haori fluttered in the winds caused by the fire, his ninjato shining in the light. A pair of golden eyes glared at him; making him feel as if he were one of the mice his summons loved to prey upon. Even though he was unable to see it, the man was sure that a predatory grin adorned the face of the boy. Blond hair was no longer the sun-kissed hair the others had seen earlier, as the boy had taken the opportunity gained by the genjutsu to end several more attackers, resulting in him having crimson highlights.

His breath caught in his throat as he realized his speed technique was no longer usable, as he was only able to use it when a hawk was helping him out. Seeing as he had never been much of a Shinobi, relying instead on the abilities of his summons, he realized he was screwed.

Fear now taking him, he stumbled backward, much to the unspoken disgust of Naruto. He stuttered out apologies, pulling out a large scroll and offering it to him, begging to be spared. Naruto wondered what his village was thinking when they sent him out to attack.

Naruto used another Soru, refusing to allow the man time to figure out a way to trap him, slashing through him, the man's torso rejoining his legs on the ground after a few seconds. A little confused at the scroll, he picked it up, noticing as he did so that the fights were mostly over, with Root having won thanks to Naruto's multiple kills balancing the forces. It was then Naruto realized just what this scroll was, a summoning scroll for the Hawk clan. He frowned as he pondered whether or not to use it, as each summon clan held benefits and negatives.

He was jerked from his thoughts by a harsh demand by the commanding ninja for him to report. He snapped to attention and, in his usual emotionless tone, gave a brief and factual report. The Root member nodded, before motioning over a medic and ordering him to finish healing the blonde's ribs, and after that was finished Naruto was ordered to help out with the recovery effort.

Naruto reflected on the past month and a half as he cleaned up the campsite, ridding the bodies of anything of use and then burning them. He had spent the time in near constant battle, and his Tai, gen, and kenjutsu had greatly improved, out of pure necessity, because otherwise he would have died.

Danzo had helped him with his jutsu for three days before sending him out, and that had saved his life several times. In between missions and battles he had been taught a lot of things, not the least of which was the most effective way to fight. Before, he had wasted energy despite his efforts, but a large amount of experience allowed him to move with a grace that even trained dancers had trouble achieving.

He had also learned the real reason Danzo had kept Root active despite the Sandaime's efforts. As it turned out, every village had their own version of Root. These groups were kept secret from the main village forces, and were used to take the darker missions that the Villages could not accept because it would be bad for the image. They were the epitome of a shinobi, using stealth and deception to carry out their tasks, which was part of why the hawk summoner didn't fit. If you joined this team, you were strong enough to fight with or without a summons, and there was no way a coward could get in.

A little bit of history flowed through his mind, remembering one of Danzo's lectures.

~Break~

"The Five Great Shinobi villages are in a constant state of shadow warfare. Of course, anyone who paid attention during the academy knows this, but most of the "shinobi" in Konoha outside of my organization or ANBU or on the council are unaware of just how deep it goes.

In the light of day, the side of the villages that the clients see, Konoha is a well respected village that cannot do wrong, full of legendary shinobi and beautiful sights. Even then, the light side of Konoha is working for its own benefit. Every single shinobi in Konoha is taught to fight, but more importantly to look good doing it. Most things you know about Konoha are a lie, used only for the shadow war for superiority.

The Kage Monument? It's a reminder that Konoha has produced four of the strongest Shinobi in _history_, and the fact that they are larger than life makes a subtle impression on everyone who sees them as they unconsciously place them above the other village leaders. The Third's grandfather façade is used only to make potential clients more comfortable and to make them feel safer. All of the civilians in the village are used to project the image of peace and prosperity, even if the latter is true.

All of the flashy jutsu are used by Konoha to impress the clients, so that they keep coming back after the first mission. Genin especially are useful in this, as from a civilian's point of view when a child can call on massive fireballs or other elemental attacks, what can the elites do?

Once the standard shinobi reaches chunin the real training begins. Every time a Konoha genin becomes a chunin they undergo six months of intense training to make up for the fact that their academy years were pretty much wasted. The other villages believe that there genin are stronger than ours, well, it's true. We focus on teaching them flashy techniques and skills that, while looking pretty, are of no real value because they don't know how to use them. It is usually the jonin that do most of the work while the client is distracted by jutsus.

However, our chunin are above and beyond all but their elite chunin, because the entire time a shinobi is a chunin they are in harsh training and gaining experience, making sure that our eventual jonin are above and beyond all of the other villages. That is why we are the strongest village, in the light.

The darkness however is my territory, the place I have held since the end of the first Shinobi world war. The shinobi under my command return to the way of the ninja, and are trained to the point where even our famous Hatake Kakashi would have a great deal of trouble fighting my elite chunin, and even then he only stands a chance of winning because he was an ANBU.

Root, and the other organizations like it, are in constant war. This is where Konoha truly makes its name as the strongest village, because despite Root's lack of numbers we are far stronger than the others. The shadow shinobi are responsible for everything that need a real shinobi, and as stated, we are secret and in the shadow. We are the supporting Roots of the Leaf, the reason the village has not fallen to ruin.

Every serious incident that is well known in our history is shadowed by our accomplishments. We won the wars for Konoha, we keep Konoha from being overrun by the superior numbers of our enemies. There is so much that Root does for Konoha that it would take me months to explain it all, and I will only do that if you wind up joining.

Back to the point, Root is in a constant state of war. We are fighting the forces of all four of the other villages, and there are _no_ allies in the shadows, and even if two forces team up both sides must be ready for betrayal. To be completely honest with you, despite the usual warfare the fronts have been oddly quiet of late. I expected that things were merely settling down and would pick back up soon, but I was ill-prepared for just how much it picked up.

Even though the chunin exams are months away, forces are moving to help the light side of the respective villages by assassinating promising genin. In fact, we have prevented seven assassination attempts on your team alone. Because of the rising tensions, the warfare had greatly increased, and Root is being pushed back.

You are the Jinchurriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune, and despite any personal opinions on your part you are a powerful force. In addition to that, I have been watching you for years, and I know just how skilled you are. You can hide from the best sensors in my force, and that stealth will help you to kill many of those against Konoha.

Ever since Sarutobi disbanded Root Konoha has been at a major disadvantage when compared to the other villages, and it has only gotten worse as time goes by."

~Break~

Naruto finally finished the mindless cleaning, but came upon a nasty surprise when he came upon the dead body of the hawk summoner. It was not the man he killed; instead it was one of his unnamed companions. '_I knew it was too good to be true! No one in this business is that much of a coward!'_ He reported it to the commander, and was told to forget about it, as he was being cycled out soon.

Naruto intended to confront Danzo on a few things that were not adding up, like why the Third had originally disbanded Root, but he was currently satisfied with his skill set. He had gained a grace to his movements that had been lacking before, and his entire method of fighting had been honed and refined.

AN: Presentation day, after today I should be able to update as often as I had been.


	13. Chapter 13

Naruto looked at the old man in front of him as a hundred blonds went through various exercises. "What next?" was his emotionless query. Danzo looked at him, judging him.

"We shall work on your secondary element before we talk about summons. You have advanced faster on your primary element faster than anyone I have ever seen, and though you haven't completed the third exercise yet, you are close to completing it. Now, you will be either a fire or a wind element, by the elemental chart. Here." The man handed Naruto a piece of chakra paper.

He looked at it, separating his earth chakra from the rest of his chakra as he channeled it into the paper. It lit up like the conflagration from earlier, burning an angry crimson and hot enough to burn his hand, almost causing him to drop it.

"Stop channeling chakra!" Danzo ordered tersely, sounding more strained than Naruto had thought possible. Naruto did so, but not quickly enough to avoid charring his own skin. Danzo looked incredulously at Naruto as he thought over the powerful flames.

'_This must be the Kyuubi's influence. It was well known for mastery over fire, and then there's that unique crimson color, the color of its chakra. Perhaps he will show great skill with fire along with earth.'_

"Alright Naruto, you have an incredibly powerful fire affinity. As powerful as your earth affinity is, actually, so I expect to see results. Now we only have a week and a half, so the two hundred clones you will make in a moment will be working on those while I teach you how to use fire." Danzo paused for a moment, giving the boy time to make the clones and send the off to perform the exercises.

"Now, Fire." Danzo's eyes took on a passionate light, something Naruto had only seen when he was talking about Root, Konoha, or his element of Wind.

"The element of fire is the most common element used for jutsu in the Elemental Nations, and is most common in our land of Hi no Kuni, the land of fire. As I am reasonably sure you know, fire is used to burn. Nearly every jutsu that uses fire is used to burn the enemy to ashes.

Fire is the most passionate element, and like lighting, cannot be controlled. It can be predicted, countered, stopped, but it cannot be tamed." Danzo's voice was soft, as if talking about a lover. Naruto was surprised that the apparently controlled man was a pyromaniac. '_Everyone has their quirks.'_ The man continued to wax elegantly about fire, but managed to impress that even training with it could kill you. His final words were ever so helpful, in his own training style.

"Once you have mastered the first two exercises, you shall fight your clones using only fire manipulation and techniques. Only then will you see just how fire should be used."

Despite his mental sarcasm towards the elder man, he raised a valid point. Only through learning to use the element would he be able to figure out the various ways to manipulate it. Despite his limited experience in the matter, he was well aware that elemental manipulation was different for every person that used it.

He had met fellow earth users in Root, and he had been surprised that, despite the fact that they had mastered the first two exercises, they were unable to do the things he could do with earth chakra. Of course, they could do other things, like manipulate the battlefield to a certain extent, or create earth walls at a moment's notice without having to use a jutsu for either thing, but he believed that he got the better deal. Danzo caught his attention again.

"Now, while your clones are working on the various things you need to have, time for another history lesson. You need to know these things, as the Academy fails to enlighten the students properly."

Naruto took a moment to observe the older man, noting that despite his emotionless exterior, the man had a passion in his voice, and that exterior never lasted when he was teaching.

"Today we shall start with the council." Naruto was unable to help the flash of irritation that crossed his eyes, and Danzo nodded in understanding.

"Yes, now they are near useless, but they were not always so.

When the Shodaime first formed this village, the council was made up of an even number of retired shinobi and influential civilians, designed to form a check on the Hokage's power. While the Kage had ultimate power in times of war, and most of the power in times of peace, the council could check the peace time activities with a three/fourths majority.

The council also served to help the Kage in the day-to-day management of the village. In order to ensure that the Kage could focus on the important things, each and every member of the council had a sector of the shinobi or civilian parts of the village to manage. Eventually, these became the clan territories and wealthy mercantile areas.

This status quo remained effective and efficient until the second reign of the Saindame." The older man's tone took a sadder aspect, the voice of a man who watched something he loved and had devoted his life to fall to ashes, despite every effort to the contrary.

"To this day I remain unsure as to how it happened. It started simply enough, with both the civilians and the shinobi requesting more power to deal with the after affects of the Kyuubi attack. Seeing as it was necessary, the Third granted it.

However, the damage proved to be a bit more extensive than anyone had initially thought, and even more power was delegated to the council to compensate." Danzo sighed, this memory seeming a bit more painful for him than the others.

"Unfortunately, it was proven once again that when humans gain a taste of power, they would rather do anything than give it up. Through rather talented manipulation, the civilian council set it up to their current level of power, where it takes the Hokage, the elders, and the shinobi council all working together, which is near impossible mind you, to overrule them."

Naruto absorbed this, understanding how it had happened. He could see it after all. A few individuals liking the increased power, and they convinced others. Seeing as it was unexpected, they were able to set it up so that by the time anyone realized the problem, it was already too late.

Naruto grew somewhat confused when Danzo let out an honest, mirthful chuckle, even if there was a tone of bitterness to it.

"That was a full generation of council members ago though. This one seems to prefer laziness, using harrying tactics and screeching fits rather than the power their predecessors worked so hard to gain. It's somewhat ironic, that those people worked their asses off for power; got it just in time to leave office, and then the new council members were too complacent to actually put effort into expanding their power even further, or even attempting to understand the level of their power.

Currently, the entire village is stagnating, the academy standards have fallen, and we are weakening. I will not say that this is any particular groups fault, but the fact remains that this only began to happen when the newest council took power."

Danzo sighed in sadness again, before lightly shaking his head and returning to the standard emotionless appearance. Noticing the return to the present, Naruto focused again on the elder man.

"Now for your summons." A slight smirk played across his face. "With your fire affinity, they shall be incredibly helpful in collaboration jutsu, provided you sign the contract of course." Naruto shook his head now, wondering if every shinobi he met was going to have a quirk that was completely opposite of their personality.

"The hawks have never really been fighters, as they form more of a supporting force for those that use them. Now that I think about it, the Hawks have never really had a skilled summoner either, so no one really knows what the hawks are capable of." Naruto rubbed his shoulder where the beak of the hawk had hit him. '_They do make good support. I was unable to sense the creature, despite it being right there.'_ Naruto knew how many potential stealth attacks could happen with the hawks.

"Unfortunately, the only to be sure if the Hawks are right for you is to summon them and see what they can offer you. Fortunately, a ninja can sign more than one contract, and can even destroy the tie with one summoning clan if both sides are willing. You should do that soon, as learning how to fight with the various members will take a while." Naruto nodded his agreement, and decided to summon them once Danzo left and he could be sure that there were no Root members watching them. It would not do to have one person knowing all of his skills.

Danzo remained for several hours; giving tips and helping Naruto develop new ways to use both of his elements, both sides having decided to forgo the new weapon for the moment.

~Break~

'_He's finally gone. Now I can summon a hawk.'_ Naruto unrolled the scroll, noticing nothing but black names. Even the most recent summoner's name was black, and according the ever-so-helpful key at the very top, black meant that either the summoner was dead, or had broken the contract with the clan. Naruto took a moment to wonder just why that was there, but shrugged and continued on, nicking his thumb deeply with a kunai so as to provide enough blood to sign the scroll with only one injury, rather than nicking his thumb on a canine and having to repeat the process several times.

Uzumaki Naruto

He looked at his signature for a moment before channeling normal chakra and going through the hand seals, channeling as much as he could.

Naruto lightly pressed his hand to the ground, a large poof of smoke appearing before dispersing to reveal the hawk. The creature was standard for its species, if about seven times larger, with light brown plumage and golden eyes. Those eyes reminded him of his own version of the 'eagle eyes' and he wondered if the feeling he was getting was how they felt.

"Who are you?" it asked voice raspy and old. Naruto inclined his head in an introductory nod before speaking.

"I am the newest person to sign the contract, Uzumaki Naruto. Who are you?" The hawk observed him for several moments before answering.

"I am the hawk sage, the strongest hawk summon out of us all. Name's Takakaze, but call me Kaze. Nice to meet the first decent summoner in centuries." Naruto cocked his head, curious as to how he came to that judgment. The old hawk seemed to smirk at him.

"You managed to summon _me_ boy. Usually that's not possibly until you accessed at least part of hawk sage mode, and that's not possibly until you've trained in it." The raspy voice was now clearing up, but remained slow and strong. "Of course you'll be a good summoner. Now, I need to know just how you managed to summon me boy. And do not say 'I channeled a bunch of chakra' either, or I'll peck your eyes out. Something about you calls out to the sky, and you will tell me what it is." The old hawk's eyes were sharp and piercing, demanding honesty and obedience.

Naruto had already had enough of that, something inside him snapping free and rising to the challenge.

Killing intent flooded the room as Naruto's eyes flashed gold and crimson, before settling on gold with a crimson pupil. The old hawks eyes widened in shock and happiness, before talking, his voice laced with excitement.

"You have the will to fly boy, and fly free while you're at it. Oh, I look forward to seeing someone trying to control you!" The elderly creature actually did a little shuffle in glee, Naruto's confusion causing the killing intent and the crimson part of his eyes to disappear, the gold remaining.

"You are destined to be the sage of the sky, but we shall have to fix that emotionless outlook, yes. Now, to business." The hawk immediately grew serious, making Naruto quite sure that the "will to fly" was not just flying literally.

"You are exhibiting something that has not happened since the onset of the summons, the '_look of eagles'_, more commonly known as the '_hawk eye'_. I still don't know why they called something after the hawks when it was originally eagles, but there you go. It would be what you all call a dojutsu, and the only other way to manifest it is to achieve sage mode." Naruto was now getting slightly irritated at how every time he got an explanation, it brought up more questions. Seeing this, the hawk continued, somewhat hastily.

"First, sage mode is where a human uses the energy of the earth, you call it chakra, to gain immense speed and strength, or perhaps other benefits, and it also allows jutsu to become a great deal more powerful. Normally, the sage mode depends on the summons you have, such as in the case of toads you gain the eyes of a toad, not much benefit there. Our sage mode however is quite different.

First, the human cannot have a wind chakra nature. Any other chakra nature is fine, but having wind in your blood will conflict with the energies we use. Fortunately, you have…" The hawk paused, seeming to stare right through him. "Earth, Fire, and a touch of water in you. Odd that you have three elements of the cycle, but whatever works. This will allow you to begin working on sage mode, once you have mastered the other things.

Second, the human has to have the will of a warrior, which we call the will to fly. This manifests in one of two ways, the first and less common being the "look of eagles", which you have, and typically manifests the first time your life is in danger. In you I sense it manifested…approximately five minutes after birth, then again an hour later. What were you doing then, boy? The other is a great deal more painful to gain, as they must have had an incredibly hard life, to the point that lesser men or women would _shatter_ if they attempted to deal with it. Only then can someone truly understand what it means to fight against the odds."

'_Well, that's ironic isn't it?' _Came a slightly bitter thought from Naruto before Kamikaze continued.

"Our sage mode is called, ever so originally, '_Sky Sage Mode.'_ I, personally, prefer the term '_Wind Sage mode,_' because of just what happens when you become a sage. Unfortunately, I am unable to tell you these effects, because one has to learn for themselves in order to become a sage, but rest assured that it is power beyond your wildest dreams, unlike that damn incomplete toad sage mode."

Kaze seemed to want to rant for a few minutes on the problems of the toad sage mode while boosting his own sage mode, but a slight glare from Naruto brought him back on topic.

"Sorry, I don't like the toads. It's nothing against them really, but the fact that they have a nasty habit of allowing the worst perverts, slackers, and oath breakers to summon them, despite our warnings.

Back to the point, what I can tell you about wind sage mode is finished, but I can tell you more about the process you take to get there, as well as about hawks in general."

Naruto, despite his efforts to the contrary, was beginning to like the old hawk. His way of speaking seemed designed to throw you off, but there was a look in his eye that made sure that Naruto stayed on guard. It seemed as though there were more to the hawks then meets the eyes.

"Alright, the hawks are not frontline fighters. We are the support, allowing you to fly on our backs and use incredibly powerful collaboration techniques. Despite this, we can hold our own against other summons, and given the chance to surprise an opponent we can end the fight for you in a heartbeat. Our sensitive hearing and, if you don't mind me bragging a little, incredible sight puts us a cut above most other trackers, as even in a forest we can find all but the most elusive prey.

We can work in any element, and any terrain as well provided there is room to fly, allowing us more versatility than most summons. We can send messages faster than other summons, scan battlefields, and we make great spies. There is no area of the elemental nations that does not have some kind of hawk, and you humans never seem to look for animals when you look for intruders.

Finally, one or two of the larger hawks typically have mastery over 'army killing' jutsu, and if you set fire to the hurricanes they can cause, well, let's just say that your opponent is screwed.

Where our skills truly lie, however, is in teaching our summoner to use techniques, especially in kenjutsu. We are the only summons that can teach you to embrace your emotions and control them that way, rather than suppress them as you have done. In your case, you still feel them, and it can easily destroy your concentration. In our case, any and every emotion will flow through you, enhancing your skill and not causing any deficit to your fighting, regardless as to what emotion it is.

Next, we can teach you to embrace the spirits of the animals." Naruto looked incredulously at Kaze, who hopped nervously.

"It's true! We learned that from the wolves, thank you very much. Using kenjutsu, we cam teach you to channel certain skills of animals for techniques, allowing a great deal strength and skill to be added to your kenjutsu techniques. We also teach you several new styles, but I don't think those will work for you unless you master our sage mode.

Beyond that, we can teach you to hide your presence perfectly. As you can probably tell, you cannot sense me. This is a universal skill for hawks, and we can easily teach you it.

Next, we have a multitude of speed techniques, allowing you to gain all the speed of a striking hawk, and beyond. We can easily make you invisible to all but the fastest, though it will take a _lot _of effort to attain.

Hmmm…next we can teach you to fly, in a manner of speaking." Now Naruto was getting more then a little skeptical. If the hawks had so much to teach, how come they were considered one of the weaker summons?

"Using the moon walk technique, you will be able to run across the air as you do the ground. Actually, I suggest you learn this first, because despite the amount of chakra it takes, it makes a great control exercise. A word of warning though, most of the things you will learn will not be available to you for some time.

Unless I'm forgetting something, that's about it, other than sage mode. Now, first and foremost, while you can learn everything we have to teach you in a short time, except sage mode, it will take you years of effort to master. Actually, I think that that's why no one ever masters what we have; only using us in battle. They are too lazy to put the effort into it."

'_Years to master? Well, that's why I have shadow clones isn't it? If I am to survive this…Akatsuki Danzo told me about, I need all the power I can get, and soon.'_ Naruto thought.

The bird sighed, happy that its long monologue was finally over. Naruto, however, was now on a technique trip in his mind, already having ideas as to how to use hawks in battle, including new versions of the summoning techniques.

"Oh, yes, I did forget something." Naruto looked curiously at him.

"We also teach you katas for using an old assassination weapon, the hidden blade. (Assassins creed) Despite its size, the thing is dipped in a poison we make that insures even the smallest cut is fatal. Naturally, we shall make you immune to this." Naruto waited for a moment, just in case he had forgotten anything else. It was a good thing too.

"Of course, you will have to come to the mountain to learn all of this, but I'm sure you will find the time." This gave Naruto an idea, and he voiced it.

"How many can you take to the mountain?" The hawk looked at him; eyes alit with a mischievous twinkle. "Your talking about those marvelous shadow clones right? As many as you can summon." A feral grin stretched across Naruto's face as he made new clones.

"Oh my, that's quite a few!"

~Break~

Four and a half months of torture had passed, and Naruto had surpassed all of Danzo's expectations. Hatake would prove to be unable to beat Naruto now. Danzo himself would have trouble with taking on the boy, but despite all his skill, anyone with many years' worth of experience would be able to take him down.

Or so Danzo thought.

The chunin exams were coming up, and Danzo knew that Naruto would prove to be the best shinobi there, and bring many clients to the village.

Danzo watched with no small amount of pride as Naruto finished off his four elites, forcing each to surrender before sheathing his ninjato. The blond approached him, new scars standing out on his face, showing just how intense the training was.

"Show them what you can do, my son." A malicious smile, reminiscent of a predator facing a particularly succulent morsel of prey, lit across the blonds face, vulpine features giving way to the flash of golden eyes.

"Of course, Danzo-Tousan."

AN: Now, just a word of warning, Naruto will be incredibly strong, thanks both to Danzo's tutoring and the Hawks. However, he still would be unable to beat an Akatsuki member in a fight, despite giving them a run for their money in one. Danzo has also been a great deal of influence on Naruto, and it will be shown just how much the two have grown to trust each other in flashbacks.

Now, grad projects done, school is easier, and I will be able to write more. Please give me any advice or criticism you happen to have. Oh, can someone translate the "look of eagles, hawk eye, wind sage mode, and sky sage mode" into Japanese for me?


	14. Chapter 14

Hatake Kakashi had not had a good couple of months. In between the council sending him and his genin team (minus Naruto) on mission after mission, he himself had been sent on high ranked missions, several of them. It was almost as though the third thought he would seek out Naruto and attempt to teach him during his off time. That thought caused a snort of amusement to escape Kakashi, causing Sakura to look curiously at him.

As if he would be that stupid!

He had left a training regime for Naruto to follow, along with several techniques for his favorite blond in a hidden place, and made sure that Naruto had gotten the hint to look for it before he left.

He looked at the two genin in walking back to the village in front of him. '_At least these two have gotten better.'_ He thought,, the only compensation for what he had been forced to do.

Sasuke, while still an arrogant imbecile, had had most of the overwhelming arrogance knocked out of him in a near-death encounter. Even his awakening of the Sharingan did not return that arrogance. The way he was now was a cocky child who was mostly sure of his power, and Kakashi was forced to admit that the boy was quite skilled, easily low chunin. Kakashi still didn't like him, but at least he was better now.

On the other hand, Sasuke's increased skills turned out to be a problem for Sakura. While Kakashi had been able to force her to learn chakra control, she _still _showed no interest in increasing her shinobi skills. Sure, she was a budding medic thanks to his continued hounding, but in the middle of a battle? She forgot all she learned and screeched encouragement to Sasuke.

Okay, perhaps he was being a bit judgmental. She no longer did that. She had to begin with though! Well, she no longer screeched encouragement, though if Sasuke got as much as a scratch she screamed his name, and not in a good way either. She was typically useless in the actual fight as well, but at least he had given her the ability to patch the other two up afterwards. Sasuke seemed to need it quite a bit, as every fight he got in he seemed to get injured somehow.

Granted, the boy had a habit of picking fights with those stronger than him, but still!

Because of all this, it was with no small amount of relief that Kakashi saw the gates and remembered the date, just three days away from the Chunin exams. No more missions! Time to relax with his beloved Icha Icha, and make sure that Naruto was not having any last minute problems. Kakashi was feeling somewhat guilty, but his guilt was assuaged when he remembered that he had left instructions for the Rasengan so Naruto could learn about it.

He nodded to Kotetsu and Izumo, the eternal chunin gate guards, and dismissed his two genin, shunshinning to the Kage's office to deliver his report.

~Break~

Naruto knew something was going to happen as soon as he got up that morning, still in recovery from the extreme training he had gone through. He had been summoned to the Hokage's office by an ANBU, and it made him uneasy. He armed himself, ready for war, and summoned his familiar, Takami, and with the young hawk providing cover from above he left. He smiled a little as he remembered how the two met.

Takami had been incredibly curious as to why there were a bunch of humans on the mountain of the hawks, and had approached the closest clone. Through the young hawk's stubbornness, he had made friends with Naruto and was now Naruto's preferred summon. Already the two's collaboration jutsu were more powerful than most of the other hawks, and Takami was always training to make them even stronger.

He entered the office and saw a face, well, mask, which he had not seen for several months. Kakashi was there, and he seemed oddly serious.

Kakashi watched with no small amount of horror as he saw Naruto walk in. The blond had changed a great deal in just a few months.

A few inches taller now, he wore the same clothes, except now his Haori had a hawk on each shoulder along with the Kyuubi on the back. However, what really caught attention were the scars on him. The first thing was the vertical scar over his left eye, the eyelid revealing the full scar when he blinked. Fortunately it seemed the eye itself was not damaged, so that was some small amount of luck. Another scar started at his neck and trailed down into his shirt, cutting off view of it, and a third was horizontal on his neck, right where his larynx was supposed to be.

He observed the several smaller scars on the boys hands, and came to the rather obvious conclusion that he had been attacked during the time Kakashi was away. Guilt crashed through him as he saw the caution the boy was displaying, not even bothering to hide the fact that he knew that ANBU were there as everyone else did as he walked over to a wall and leaned against it, gloved right hand on the hilt of his ninjato.

The only thing that briefly relived it was the nod the blond gave him, but Kakashi sunk right back into the guilt, worrying Naruto slightly. However, before Naruto could find out what was wrong, the Third started speaking.

"Ah, Naruto, you're just in time. I called you here because of the chunin exams taking place in three days. You are intending to participate I hope?" Naruto's eyes focused on the aged Fire Shadow, noticing the malicious glint in his eye that clearly said '_do this or suffer.'_ Knowing that he had no choice in the matter, he nodded.

"Good. Now, I trust that you are quite willing to look out for your teammates during this turbulent time." Another poorly veiled message. '_Look after the Uchiha or I will see to it that you regret it.'_ Another nod was the man's answer, causing him to frown slightly. He looked towards Kakashi, expecting the man to reprimand Naruto on his lack of respect, but the masked jonin was conveniently reading his little orange book at the moment, seemingly dead to the world. In truth the man was worried that Naruto was unable to speak, seeing as he had usually at least answered the man before.

A sigh preceded Naruto's dismissal, followed swiftly by Kakashis. The silver haired man swiftly caught up to his favorite student, before bombarding him with questions to a slight, amused gleam in Naruto's eye.

"Naruto, what happened to you? How did you get those scars? Can you speak? Oh, please tell me you can still speak…Naruto?!" The blond boy raised a hand to calm the older man, unintentionally increasing his anxiety until he spoke.

"I'm fine Kakashi." Relieved, but still curious, the man continued to ply him with questions as the two walked to a popular barbeque restaurant. A slight smirk lit Naruto's features as he took the opportunity to eat out for the first time in his life.

"I will answer all your questions Kakashi, but first you need to pay for a lunch for us." Once again relieved, but also slightly irritated at the condition, Kakashi nearly dragged Naruto into the restaurant, nearly killing the man who tried to kick them out with his glare alone. They ordered, and as soon as the waiter stumbled away, scared out of ten years of life, Kakashi leveled that formidable glare on Naruto.

"Explain."

That one word was filled with everything Kakashi was feeling, frustration, fear, guilt, and a great deal of irritation. Naruto was once again amused as he realized that despite Kakashi's lazy, I-care-for-nothing attitude, when something happened to someone he cared for, he was a mother hen. He decided to put the man out of his misery by giving him a judiciously edited summary of his time away from the man.

"I spent this entire time training. Needless to say, I am quite a bit stronger. I have developed many techniques and mastered the others, learned the special jutsu that you left me, and I have nearly finished it." That took Kakashi's entire mind off of what he had previously been focused on to stare incredulously at the blond in front of him. The boy nodded in conformation.

"Beyond that, there was really just a lot of elemental training." Kakashi's eye hardened, looking at the boy with a very stern glare.

"And how did you get those scars?" A slight smirk crossed the boys face before he answered.

"The one over my eye was a blade; I barely managed to dodge it enough to keep my eye. The one over my neck was a wind jutsu. I would have died if not for the Kyuubi. The one on my torso was a day I got tortured, and they attempted to carve my lungs out. Why they needed to slit my stomach down the middle I have no idea." Kakashi was staring, horrified, at the boy.

"I'm just screwing with you Kakashi. The three were actually training accidents where I tried to manipulate a jutsu I wasn't ready for." The horror lessened, but he was still curious as to what jutsu could do that sort of damage, but realized that Naruto would tell him if he wanted to.

The two finished their meal, Naruto taking great pleasure in sitting where _every_ customer could see him, causing most of the civilians to leave the restaurant.

After the meal the two headed to a training ground, Kakashi wanting to test just how far Naruto had come, stopping only to get Kakashi's ANBU-issue Tanto, so that he would be a bit better off against Naruto's ninjato.

~Break~

A light wind blew across a clearing, tousling the blond hair of a boy, standing in a ready position, left arm partially extended in front of him and right hand resting on the hilt of his ninjato. Across from him was a silver haired man, tanto out and held in his right hand, left hand clenched at his side.

As though an invisible force said "Go!" the pair vanished, clangs and grunts ringing through the clearing.

Naruto blocked a slash from Kakashi; easily running his blade down the older man's and nearly removing a finger, stopped only by the swift disengagement. The boy went on the offensive, several lightning quick slashes pushing back the inferior swordsmen, and he kept the momentum.

Kakashi was already on the run, not even five minutes into the fight, barely blocking a series of slashes, a thrust nicking his side. Running chakra through his body for a burst of speed, he managed to palm the ground and kick Naruto into the air, appearing underneath the now flying boy and preparing to stab him.

Only to find his blade clashing with nothing as foot planted itself onto his face, the spinning boy recovering far faster than Kakashi had thought the two landing on the ground and swiftly continuing the fight, neither side allowing the other to have a moment's breath.

Kakashi's blade met Naruto's, the sparks proving a good backdrop for their dance of death. Blade met blade, again and again, the pair slashing and stabbing at each other in movements to fast for the normal eye to see. The two blades clashed again, unlike the others this became a test of strength, the pair holding each other at bay in a blade lock. Kakashi eye smiled at the blond before grunting out.

"You've…improved quite a…bit…Naruto. However…**Kai!**" The man had taken the moment to form a one-handed seal and releasing the weight seals on him, the new speed allowing him to knee Naruto in the gut, but the Naruto he kicked burst into Sakura petals at the same time a kick connected with his face.

Flipping around, Kakashi removed his forehead protector, revealing the famous Sharingan as he landed. "Very nice Naruto, you've gotten quite a bit better. However, there's no way that this is it. Show me more." He urged, his desire for a good fight coming out. Naruto smirked, kneeling and stabbing his blade into the ground, removing a set of anklets and bracelets before putting them on the ground. "Let's go, Hatake!"

The fight, already intense, kicked up to kage level.

A stab rocketed towards Naruto at the same time as a fist flew towards his head, naruto shifting into a sideways stance as his hand hit the flat of Kakashi's blade and his head leaned forward _just enough_ to miss the fist, elbowing Kakashi in the ribs, the man's own momentum causing several ribs to crack.

Kakashi's outstretched hand grabbed the side of Naruto's head, slamming it into the ground hard enough to leave a dent in the ground. A palm hit the ground, Naruto continuing the battle despite the ringing in his ears and he slammed his heel into Kakashi's cheek, using the momentum to flip into the air, using the moment to use the first jutsu of the battle with a muttered "**Doton: Ryuusha no jutsu! **(Quicksand skill)"

A pool of quicksand appeared underneath Kakashi's stumbling feet, around four feet in diameter, even as Naruto slammed his foot onto Kakashi's braced arms, flipping back off just in time to avoid the retaliatory slash from the Tanto, but the damage was done, as Kakashi was nearly up to his calves in the quicksand.

He looked down after creating a shadow clone that took Naruto's attention, using an earth jutsu to meld right down into the quicksand, reappearing on the side of the patch of sand. He smirked at Naruto, who had easily defeated the clone.

"You want make this a jutsu fight? Well then…" his smirk turned evil. "Let's do it. **Raiton: Jiten Rakou Dangan! **(Spinning lightning shot)" A ball of lightning formed on his hand, spinning lightly as the electricity crackled around Kakashi's entire body, only his own lightning chakra protecting him from it. He threw it at Naruto at high speeds, the bolts already striking near Naruto.

"**Katon: Goenkyu! (**Blaze Ball)" A fiery ball the size of a meteor blasted from Naruto's mouth, obliterating the lightning jutsu and carrying on towards Kakashi, who leaped over it. A grin cracked across Naruto's face.

"Right where I want you."

Kakashi had no time to react as Naruto said "**Geppou! **(moon walk)" and with a blue wave exiting his feat he leapt into the air, moving as fast as he did on the ground, reaching Kakashi in just a second, slicing into his arm while grabbing the other one and whirling the man underneath him. "It's over."

He somersaulted in mid-air, giving Kakashi's stomach an incredibly powerful heel drop, slamming the older man into the ground with the sound of cracking bone, right before an incredibly loud "**BOOM!" **rushed through the clearing.

He landed lightly on the ground, facing away from the crater and towards the woods, watching as an injured Kakashi walked out. The older man eye-smiled at him, before saying "I think that's quite enough Naruto. If this keeps going any further we'll wind up actually hurting each other, and that will not do either of us any good, seeing as neither of us were at full strength to begin with. I think we can call this a draw." Naruto smiled at him, the first one Kakashi had seen, before nodding.

The pair gathered up their equipment, talking and laughing, heading off to bond over the course of the day and the night.


	15. Chapter 15

The Chunin Exams

They were a rather important occasion, these exams, according to Danzo. Not only were they for the various genin to attempt in order to advance in rank, but they were also incredibly important to the public side of the village. The Chunin exams allowed the various potential clients to come to the village and evaluate there potential employees. The Shinobi forces were, above all else, mercenaries, and the way they did business reflected this. After all, who would want to hire a force that was unable to do its job?

Uzumaki Naruto was going over the personnel folders for everyone that Danzo felt could become a major player, despite there being very few. He scanned the various names, three from Suna, three from a new village called Oto, and a group of Konoha ninja. He smirked to himself as he came across Kabuto's folder.

Yakushi Kabuto, the spy for Orochimaru. Apparently, both the Snake Sannin and the spy believed that Konoha was completely unaware of the spy's existence, Danzo having ordered him executed years ago. Danzo, however, was a lot wiser than that. He had spent decades in this business, longer than Orochimaru had been alive, and knew most of the spies in Konoha, and Kabuto stood out like a sore thumb when one knew what to look for.

"_An incredibly talented medic ninja, the subject tends to strike down an opponent with lethal chakra scalpels, using his advanced anatomical knowledge to cripple and kill in a remarkably short time. This subject also has a tendency to boast and talk during a battle, most likely inherited from Orochimaru of the Sannin, a man who did the same to a much greater degree. Recommended to use extreme caution when fighting, and keep a very close eye on potential stealth attacks, as the subject has had Root training."_

The folder carried on to give an estimate of his abilities, placing just under Hatake Kakashi at this point in open combat, above with stealth attacks.

Naruto controlled a chuckle that threatened to come loose at that, knowing that Kakashi was quite a bit stronger than Danzo knew. The rest of the information was pretty accurate, including the known techniques of each chunin potential. Naruto gained a surprise when he came across his own folder though, noticing the severe lack of information. A note was inside it from Danzo.

"_Naruto,_

_I have made sure that your information, both on this folder as well as the ninja archives, portrays you as a somewhat talented genin with a high chakra reserve. I recommend you stop Kabuto from telling anyone about you, but leave the choice up to you."_

'_At least he did that much, though he probably has a dossier filled with information on me that's a bit too accurate for comfort.'_

Naruto shut the last folder, reducing them to ashes with a Katon jutsu, and summoned Takami. The brown-plumed hawk appeared, only a little bigger than your normal hawk at the moment, still small enough to ride on his shoulder.

"Yo!" The summon chirped at him, always happy to see the blond. Naruto nodded in greeting, before getting down to business. He spread out a map of a training ground, specifically number 44.

"Alright Takami, I am going to need your help today. As you know, this training ground is an incredibly dangerous one." The hawk seemed to grimace, remembering the first time he flew through it.

"According to Danzo, this will be the second task. First, while the beginning task is taking place, I need you to keep an eye on the gates, making sure no one goes in or out. If they do, listen in on any conversations they have before reporting to me once the first task ends." The hawk nodded in acknowledgement before winging away. That was one of the reasons he liked the little summon, he knew when to be serious, unlike some of the other hawks.

Naruto went through an equipment check, knowing that he would wind up fighting during the exams.

'_Alright, ninjato; Sharpened, polished, no nicks in the blade, the hilt is fine, hilts not loss, my ninjato is good. Scrolls; Senbon, kunai, shuriken, spare blade, food, camping gear, survival gear, clothes, extra water, medical supplies, summoning scrolls…good. Armor's fine, shin and arm guards fine, all clothing in decent condition…hi-tai-ate is polished, but not to the point that it shines; good. _

_Weights off, who knows when I will need the extra speed. Tattoo's still covered; thank god Kakashi didn't see that the other day, it would have brought up questions I wasn't ready to answer."_ Satisfied that everything was as perfect as he could get it, he left his apartment, noticing a Root member not too far along his route, who nodded at him. It wasn't much, but it was Danzo's way of saying "Good luck!" The man couldn't help but offer the sentiment, despite knowing that there was nothing deadlier than Naruto in these exams. Sometimes Danzo got a bit too attached to his children, and seeing as he had begun training Naruto to be his successor, the elder man was more attached to him than the others.

He arrived to the second surprise of the day, a civil nod from Sasuke. He nodded back, and that was that. Nothing big, but it was enough for both to know that they could work together. Unlike their third teammate, the pink-haired woman running up behind Naruto, putting her hands on her knees and panting. Naruto and Sasuke waited for her to recover and then left, Sakura's insecurities destroyed by the confident stride of Sasuke.

The two ignored the group standing in front of room 201 at a sign from Naruto. Sasuke had originally wanted to reveal the genjutsu, but a head shake from Naruto stopped him. That surprised Naruto quite a bit. '_Guess he has matured! What do you know?'_

Of course, his newfound regard for Sasuke was destroyed less than a minute later.

A boy wearing green spandex leapt down from a balcony, introducing himself as Rock Lee and requesting to fight a "genius" like Sasuke. The raven-haired boy smirked, before opening his mouth and ruining Naruto's small amount of respect for him.

"Of course a Dobe like you would want to fight an elite like me, it's your pathetic attempt to make yourself seem stronger! Oh well, I suppose I can allow it, but you will regret challenging an Uchiha!" And he activated his dojutsu, the famous Sharingan, two tomoes in his left eye and one in his right.

'_Apparently he only respects those who beat him in a fight, and is the same arrogant teme to everyone else.' N_aruto thought, disappointed. The fight was pathetically short, with the spandex wearing youth smacking Sasuke across the room in a bit of taijutsu before vanishing from Sasuke's and Sakura's eyes and reappearing in time to kick Sasuke into the air, reappearing underneath him this time in an attempt to perform what Naruto recognized as the hidden lotus.

Naruto stepped in.

Lee was about to perform his move, despite his sensei telling him that he could only perform it in certain circumstances when everything went screwy. The raven head in front of his eyes vanished, being replaced with a booted foot which crashed into his ribs, sending him to crash onto the ground, hard. He leapt up in time to get a lecture from his sensei, and he was ashamed of himself. It wasn't his fault Tenten had told him to remove the biggest threats from the competition! He did acknowledge that he could have done it a bit differently though.

Naruto had almost gotten away from the two with his teammates when the older one motioned him to wait. He told Sasuke and Sakura to go ahead, informing them he'd be there in a minute as Gai did the same to his genin.

"Thank-you for that Naruto. Despite my efforts to the contrary, Lee-kun has a habit of challenging those he is set to dislike. I'm afraid that if one of us hadn't stopped him, your whole team would be out of the Chunin exams." The older spandex wearing man said, without on mention of the youth that he was infamous for. Naruto nodded in response. Naruto recalled the moment he met Gai, walking in on one of his challenges to Kakashi. The man had had his mask dropped at the time, and tried to keep it down around him now. Gai was actually a far more serious man with an eidetic memory, or perfect recall. He used the mask to deal with the trauma he had seen.

The older man sighed to himself before continuing. "Lee-kun has embraced our mask whole-heartedly, but he still occasionally lets his emotions show through in the way he fights. He is still innocent, thankfully, despite the efforts of others, but I am working with him. I apologize that you were forced to see the rare occasion where he loses a bit of control. I'm afraid he has a teammate eerily reminiscent of little Sasuke, and the boy continuously puts Lee-kun down. Even we occasionally need a break from the continuous insults." Seeming to remember that someone was there, having forgotten he was there after the apology, he returned to his mask.

"However, that was a most youthful display Naruto-kun! Perhaps you would enjoy training with us sometime so we can stoke your flames of youth?" It was shouted, but there was a bit of pleading in the man's eyes. Despite Naruto's own misgivings on whether or not he could handle the two's mask, he nodded, knowing his taijutsu needed work. The older man flashed away, invisible even to Naruto's eyes.

Naruto left the room, nodding to Kakashi on his way in, just in time to see Kabuto dodge the hit from the sound ninja. His sensitive ears easily picked up the vibrations in the air, and Naruto took apart the attack in a moment. '_He uses sound waves from that bracer on his arm to strike his opponents…a potentially deadly move.' _Just in time came the exam proctor, to avoid an even bigger fight.

~Okay, I'm not bother with the first exam. Same thing as canon, except Kiba takes Naruto's place as the yeller who inspires confidence~

The group of three were tree jumping through the forest of death when Naruto's senses started acting up. He heard something coming straight for them, and to counter it he shoved Sasuke and Sakura forward, turning to face it, only to be caught off guard by a burst of wind instead of a tangible opponent. '_Well, crap_' he thought as he flew away from the other two, seeing only a single kunoichi before he flew out of sight.

He managed to stop his momentum after a while, right before crashing into a tree. Of course, his problems were only just beginning. A massive snake snapped the branch he had been standing on in half, swallowing a log instead of Naruto. '_Just not my day today, huh? Well if that's how you want it to be…_' "**Doton: Tounyuu! **(Boulder throw)" A boulder flew from the ground at the snake, still in midair. It hit it in the gut, followed by a second bolder striking it in the jaw, snapping it's head back in time to get a third in the now vulnerable spot, destroying its windpipe. Naruto let loose a small sigh of relief before releasing the chakra from the earth and heading back towards his team.

He arrived just in time to see the kunoichi biting Sasuke in the neck, causing the boy to scream. Naruto grew worried, and resolved to not let that woman's mouth go anywhere near him. Sasuke shouldn't have screamed that much just from a bite, nor should he be collapsing on the ground. The kunoichi smirked and let out a rather malicious laugh, before stopping and looking at him.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here? Kukukuku, a fox out in the forest…what?" The woman looked around, seeming to search for him. "Come out little fox, I know I smelled you." The woman only just dodged a set of senbon, which carried on, denting the bark under her feet, causing her to jump away. "Where are you?" She spat, getting irritated at her inability to find him, "**Kage bunshin no jutsu"** Naruto muttered, before moving away from his position. The woman seemed to hear it, and whirled. "**Katon: Gokuyaku no jutsu!** (Grand fire Ball)" She sent a fireball the size of a house at where Naruto used to be, but before she could investigate the burning area, she was forced to begin dodging senbon.

She moved like a snake, performing contortions that should not be possible as she dodged each and every senbon, regardless as to where it was aimed, even dancing lightly around the dents being left in the tree branch. "Come on boy, I can do this all day." '_He isn't giving me any time, and I can't get my hands together to replace myself with the mud clone I made earlier so I can take him out. Tsk, that was too close. He's herding me somewhere…'_

And it was true, as despite her boasts, her movements were being controlled to a degree by the constant barrage. She performed a particularly difficult back bend, becoming perfectly parallel to the ground. The whirling of Shuriken caught her attention, and she was forced to flip over them in a backflip, the move showing a great deal of grace despite the shuriken giving her a slight haircut. Even in mid-air she was dodging the constant senbon barrage, even though they got a whole lot closer now. She landed on the branch, or what she thought was the branch, only to fall into a section of spikes. She looked around and smirked, her feet having only just missed the various six-inch spikes.

"**Iwa Toge Fushido no Jutsu,** (Rock thorn bed) huh? Quite skillful of you to perform this without me noticing, seeing as the spikes appear around the user." She only just heard the next muttered jutsu, causing her to panic slightly. "**Doton: Shuriken no Jutsu**" (Stone shuriken) A collection of fifteen shuriken came spinning at he, some at her legs, others at her torso, and two at her head. Despite herself, she smiled, acknowledging the fact that this was a truly skilled trapper, as planning this entire step out as well as getting her over there was far above genin level.

"Your good, but not good enough, kukuku… **Doton: Ohitsuji Kashira! **(Ram head)" The earth rose up in front of her, slightly curved and just large enough to block the shuriken, doing so right before it crumbled. She jumped out of the spiked field, or would have if she hadn't of realized something she hadn't noticed.

She snarled out "**Ryuusha no jutsu.** (Quicksand skill) I can't believe you got me with this..." she went through hand seals in a blur, far too fast for Naruto or any of his clones to stop her. "I've had enough of these games, **Doton: Tsuka no Tsuchi Souzou **(Earth mound creation)!" A ten foot sloped mound of earth rose from where the quicksand used to be, the spikes crumbling to dust as the woman's chakra overrode Naruto's. Her snakelike eyes took in where the clones were now that she was above them, and replaced herself with her mud clone just in time for it to return to what it was made from as more senbon penetrated it.

Naruto received the memories of his clones, the woman having easily taken them down. He was forced to leap from his position as the woman deduced his location, sending a hail of kunai at him. He landed on the huge branch as the woman appeared in front of him. "So, the hunter has become the hunted," she whispered to him, her voice almost happy about it. She launched a palm at him, which he bent to avoid, his own hand striking at the elbow joint, which she dodged by ducking, the momentum carrying her outstretched arm down with her.

Her other arm snapped forward, being knocked off course by his elbow to her forearm, her other arm made an attempt to punch his stomach and he only just managed to turn enough to dodge it, the fist slipping by it, causing her own eyes to widen in surprise.

An audible crack surged the area as he kneed a large log. Whipping around, he was only just in time to block a knee to the small of his back, but her fists smashed into his face, only for the blond to burst into dust. Coughing, she stumbled backwards, cursing the Koujin Bunshin (Dust clone) for all she was worth. "**Doton: Kajuu no Doro! **(Mud Weights)" were the next things she heard as mud hit everyone of her limbs, weighing her down with a full ton of chakra and mud.

Unable to move fast enough, she took his next attack head on as a foot thudded into her face, knocking part of her face off. Stumbling back, the kunoichi was defenseless as blow after blow ruined the rest of her facial mask. She finally stopped him, grabbing his arm and tossing him away with a surge of chakra.

Evil laughter rang throughout the clearing. "Kukukuku. Kukukukuku! Very well done Naruto-kun, I am very impressed. You are far and above the Uchiha, despite what my spies say to the contrary. I believe you've earned the right to learn who I am." The woman, no now it was a man's voice, stood straighter, now at 179 centimeters, the man was extremely pale skinned with waist length black hair and plain grey garbs with a purple sash. It was the man's eyes that would frighten most though, those slitted amber eyes that so resembled snakes that gave him away to anyone who knew Konoha's history.

"Orochimaru." Stated Naruto, surprisingly calm to Orochimaru, who was used to his presence at least unnerving his opponents. The man grinned, having already been enjoying the little game, he was looking forward to playing some more. "Let's see just what you can do, Naruto-kun…kukuku." And with that he was off again, his speed now a great deal higher than he was before, even with the mud weights impeding him.

His hands snapped out, moving far faster than Kakashi's ever did, and Naruto was hard pressed to dodge them, but Orochimaru had been expecting that, and his next move proved it.

"**Sen'eijashu!"** and a set of green snakes flew from the mans sleeves, swiftly looping around Naruto's head. "I've got you now…" Orochimaru started, but Naruto sliced through the snakes with his now drawn ninjato, leaping back and sheathing it in order to give himself some room.

Another laugh left Orochimaru as he complimented the boy. "Good job Naruto-kun, you are a lot calmer than one would expect, being the holder of the Kyuubi and all." He said, his voice bordering on flirtatious. He frowned slightly as he saw that his words had no effect on the boy, but mentally shrugged and continued on with the fight.

He ran through hand seals, but this time Naruto stopped him, forcing him to stop sealing in order to block the boy's kick, more strength behind it than before, as the boy muttered "**Doton: Ishi no Yari!"** Using Earth chakra, Naruto caused the wood to once again sprout earth, as a spear of stone blasted straight up underneath Orochimaru in an attempt to skewer him. The man leaned back just enough to avoid it, the stone perilously close to his face.

"Well now, that was rude of you Naruto-kun," he said as he jumped back, using the slight blockage of Naruto's view to use his own jutsu. "**Katon: Housenka no jutsu!"** he muttered, blowing out a series of five fire balls, one a Naruto, one to the left and right, one above, and the last following the first.

Naruto ripped the stone spear from the wood, using earth chakra to bat the fireballs away from him, easily redirecting all five while reflecting the fifth right back at the pale man, sending the spear right above it as he ran towards Orochimaru. The older man smirked, and turned sideways enough to dodge the fire and the spear, using his armguard underneath the sleeves to block a senbon coming at him.

The crack of metal breaking turned his disbelieving eyes towards his armguard as it fell out of his sleeve in two pieces, and the moment of distraction caused him several hits, one in the face and two to his chest. Naruto kicked at the man, but Orochimaru caught his foot. Unconcerned, Naruto flipped his body around to kick with his other foot, Orochimaru now holding him up as the man caught his other foot. The only sign something was wrong was the slight smirk on Naruto's face as he used an adapted jutsu on the older man.

"**Doton: Rikujou Shougekiha no jutsu!** (Ground shockwave)" The original jutsu worked by the user stomping the ground while blasting chakra into it to cause an intense shockwave to be sent at the opponent. This one did the same, except it could be used at on an opponents body, and Orochimaru learned this the hard way.

He was sent flying into a trunk after being forced to let go of Naruto because of the technique, but the Orochimaru in the crater dissolved into mud.

Orochimaru was getting into the fight; the boy could keep up with him at Jonin level speeds and was winning with the way things were going. Orochimaru decided to amp it up, and being the good sport he was, he warned the fun boy in front of him.

"Kukukuku, good job Naruto-kun! You are probably the strongest genin here! Let's see just how much you can handle!" And he rushed towards the boy at speeds that Might Gai would be jealous of, only having a split second to observe a strange phenomena as it happened.

Killing intent flooded the clearing as Naruto's eyes went gold, the Hokuai (Hawk eye) flaring to life as Naruto caught the man's hand, shockwaves flaring behind him. Orochimaru leaned down a little to observe the new dojutsu, but fell right into Naruto's trap. "**Bunshin Daibuhaka!** (Great Clone Explosion)" Orochimaru barely had time to replace himself with a log before the clone exploded.

The fight amped up from there, with both parties engaging in a deadly dance that lasted several minutes, the taijutsu match having no clear winner as the two fought. Orochimaru, going at Sannin level for the first time in a while, couldn't help his laughter as he fought, the pure laughter sounding nothing like the evil laughter from before.

There were only three things Orochimaru took pleasure in. Perfecting new jutsu, teaching, and a good fight.

Unfortunately, Orochimaru's experience won out, being able to strike the boy in the ribs and send him back, both sides panting lightly. Orochimaru's eyes were lit up like a fire, a burning passion having woken in him for the first time in years. For a brief second in his eyes he saw Namikaze Minato, a good friend of his in the boy's place as the two sparred in a training ground. His eyes widened as he realized what his old friend had done, and it ticked him off no little bit.

Orochimaru was a monster, he freely admitted that, but he did _not_ condemn children to death the way Minato had his. Even the Mokutun experiment was carried out on adults until Orochimaru had no other choice, both because the Adults didn't survive and because the Third ordered it. After that day, children were off limits. The man had even vowed to never have children of his own, and to take in as many orphans as he could in compensation.

However, the realization that Naruto was Minato's son only increased his joy in the fight, as he began it again with a jutsu from a new element.

"**Raiton: Kariyou no Jutsu! **(Electric overdose technique) I'd advise you don't get hit by this Naruto-kun, it's quite nasty." He said, unable to help himself from seeing his father in his place and doing what he would have done for the older man.

The boy's emotionless face worried Orochimaru for a moment, but he charged anyways, a large amount of electricity visible in his arms, attempting to hit the blond with the lightning, which would both electrocute him and double the boy's weight, making it difficult to move.

Naruto leaned forward slightly, closing crossing his arms in an X in front of him as the older man moved like lightning towards him. Orochimaru smirked, thrusting forward in a double palm thrust to the chest, his arms going on either side of Naruto's palms.

Naruto's eyes snapped open as his hands lit up with crimson flames.

Orochimaru's amber orbs widened in shock as the boy slammed his flaming palms into his arms, sending Orochimaru's lightning attack hopelessly wide and opening him to a counter. The flaming palm thrust that Naruto delivered capitalized on that, sending the real Orochimaru flying for the first time, the imprint of the boy's palm on his chest now.

But the battle was far from over.

The man flipped in mid-air, landing on his feet as a snake came out of his mouth, opening its mouth to reveal the hilt of a blade. Orochimaru drew it from his mouth, slashing it down as the snake vanished, burning amber eyes looking towards Naruto with a fiendish glee.

"The sword Kusanagi, one of the best blades in existence. Isn't it beautiful?" Naruto was forced to admit that it held a certain amount of beauty as he drew his ninjato. Looking like a standard katana, the hilt was wrapped with a wine red cloth, and despite its common appearance, there was something about it that held the eye.

'_The Kusanagi, Danzo warned me about this. Drenched in a deadly, uncounterable and fast-acting poison, this blade can kill most people if it so much as scratches them. Even with my healing factor it's possible I could die if I get anything more than just a light scratch. It is also incredibly hard, and can cut through damn near anything…I have to be very cautious. On the far too likely chance that I have to block it, I need to have a large amount of Earth chakra running through my blade.'_

Figuring that Naruto had admired it enough, Orochimaru moved, using all the speed he had worked for in his life. Rather than attempt to block it, Naruto dodged the first few strikes, sliding out of the way with an ease and grace that surprised Orochimaru.

Unfortunately, the skilled swordsman that was Orochimaru could not be denied, and soon Naruto was forced to block the blade with his ninjato to avoid an early death.

The clang surprised them both, but caused Orochimaru to smirk. "I don't know what you're doing Naruto-kun, but I'm impressed. That old ninjato of Danzo's shouldn't be able to block my blade." Naruto's face never changed, Danzo having told him that a while ago.

The battle changed in an instant, Naruto showing off quite a bit of skill as the fight became a dance once more.

Sparks flew as blades clashed, Orochimaru falling on the defensive to test just how skilled the blond was.

He blocked a slash to the neck, easily deflecting another to the shoulder, dodged a thrust t the gut, but Naruto caught him with a shoulder, shoving the man away and allowing the boy to avoid losing an arm.

Now Orochimaru returned the favor, striking with strong, swift slashes, each deflected with as much ease as he had done. Another laugh bubbled up within Orochimaru as yet another slash was dodged, forcing him to jump back unless he felt like losing his arm.

They clashed again, except the stakes were raised once again, pushing Naruto to his limit. Orochimaru muttered "**Katon: Chou!** (Butterfly)" as he locked blades with Naruto.

The usually d-rank technique had been greatly improved as blue butterflies burned into being all around Orochimaru before flying a great speed towards Naruto, the fires hot enough to cause burns even if they missed. "**Doton: Kougo Hada!** (Earth Body)" Orochimaru's eyes widened in shock as wings of earth collected on Naruto's back, and with a flap the blade lock was disengaged, Naruto flying into the air above them.

Kougo Hada was an S-rank technique, one of the only ones Naruto had. It allowed the user to add working body parts that they did not have, such as claws, a tail, or wings such as Naruto did, and the user had full control over those parts until they were destroyed. Of course, it ate up a great deal of chakra to use.

"**Kenjutsu: Eagle Dive!**" Orochimaru was flung back from extreme shockwaves after Naruto slammed into the ground, missing the stab on Orochimaru but the chakra exploding from his feet on contact with the ground more than enough to keep him safe. Keeping his momentum, Naruto disappeared with a muttered "**Soru!** (Shave)" appearing right in front of the flying Orochimaru and kicking the Kusanagi out of the man's hands, only for both to dissolve into mud.

Orochimaru burst from the tree underneath Naruto, slashing the boy in half and chuckling as the boy dissolved into Sakura petals, pulsing his chakra to dispel the genjutsu. He brought his blade down just in time to intercept Naruto's, smiling widely at him.

"Well young Namikaze," he took a brief moment to enjoy the emotion that _finally_ crossed the boy's face, "I am afraid I will not be able to continue this fight. I do apologize, as it has been quite enjoyable, but I have spent too much time here already. I look forward to seeing you again." And he shunshinned away, reflecting on the emotionless boy.

It was only later on as he was fighting Anko, his beloved former student, that he came to the conclusion that Sarutobi had turned the boy into a weapon for the village, as that was the only plausible way for Orochimaru to explain the boy's incredible skill. His rage at that caused him to lose track of himself for a moment and hurt his former apprentice through the cursed seal he had placed on her, something he deeply regretted as soon as it happened.

Naruto panted for several moments after Orochimaru left, watching as his ninjato fell to pieces before collapsing himself.

AN: Alright, thank you war12345 for translating those, and thank you all for the good reviews. This chapter started off bad in my opinion, but got better, and I request that you all review so I can make my fight scenes better.


	16. Chapter 16

Naruto awoke to a feeling of extreme danger, causing him to instantly roll out of bed and reach for his ninjato, reflexes that were the result of deadly days on the field. He was incredibly shocked when he did _not_ have his ninjato in its sheath, but was able to palm a kunai quick enough to react to an attack.

His golden eyes took in the field around him, spotting the origin of the danger. It was Sasuke, covered in black tattoos and was dropping a brown haired boys arms down, having apparently just broken them. Sakura was soon wrapped around the boy, tears dripping down her face and mingling with her shorter hair as she said something, causing the boy to return to normal.

He ignored the group around him, as they were all Konoha genin with the exception of one sound Nin that was even now retreating, focusing instead on cataloguing what had happened to him. He had several superficial injuries that hadn't finished healing, and a mild case of chakra exhaustion. Now that he was fully awake and remembering, he was incredibly upset with the battle against Orochimaru.

While the man was not toying with him, in fact the man was using a great deal of his own skill, he had not been going all out. While Naruto believed he could match Kakashi when the two were at their best, the victory could go either way, and Kakashi would be the first to admit that he would be beaten by the Sannin, or any mid to high s-ranked ninja for that matter. While the man was good, there were quite a few better.

Beyond that, Naruto was still unable to use most of the abilities the hawks were attempting to teach him. Apparently the hawks had been wrong. It had _not _been laziness that stopped the shinobi from learning from the hawks, but rather the difficulty and time consumed in attempting to learn the techniques. Most shinobi were kept far too busy to spend the lifetime required to learn the abilities. Because of the lack of interest once they learned how much time was necessary, the hawks had grown complacent, such as when the sage had happily informed him of all the things the hawks would be able to do, praying that he would take the time to complete them seeing as how young Naruto was, along with his little Dojutsu.

In fact, he had tried the beginning stage of the hawk's sage mode. He wasn't in the mood to remember that, but that was actually how he got the scar down his front. His little joke with Kakashi about the others was actually accurate, having been given to him by enemies, but he had never been captured. Naruto could handle the kenjutsu techniques, in fact eagle dive was one of them, but the styles could only be learned with sage mode, and sage mode was impossible at this point.

Naruto got the feeling that all of the summons had a lot to teach their summoners, but needed the summoner young and adaptable to be able to master the techniques. As such, some of the best shinobi out there had found their summoning scrolls early, such as Jiraiya of the toads, Orochimaru of the snakes, and Hanzo of the Salamanders.

Back to the fight with Orochimaru, the man had indeed lived up to his title as one of the Legendary Sannin. It had taken continuous channeling of chakra to all of his limbs to keep up with the man, along with the pure drain of chakra that he had been forced to spend to keep his ninjato from being sliced into bits and pieces. That was all for naught though, as the blade had fallen to pieces right before Naruto passed out.

The only thing they had been somewhat equal in was jutsu, but neither one had turned it into a jutsu fight, focusing more on skill and speed the way a shinobi should, using jutsu only to complement their fighting.

That brought his thoughts to the end of the battle, and what Orochimaru had called him. Namikaze. There was only one Namikaze in all of Konoha's history, the man being an orphan who had chosen his own last name, the Yondaime Hokage. '_Why would Orochimaru call me that? Unless…well, it would certainly explain a lot. It would also explain why Kakashi told me to look for Jiraiya of the Sannin to answer my questions._'

Naruto resolved to get answers from the man as soon as possible, even if he needed to get his summons and track him down.

Naruto was jerked from his thoughts by his team coming back, and Naruto didn't even talk to them as they fled towards the tower, not stopping for anything. A brief conversation with Iruka, who popped out of the summoning scrolls, and they entered the tower, being forced to enter a set of preliminaries without the group having any time to rest.

~Break~

'_Pathetic.' _ Thought Naruto as he watched the various fights. (All fights except for Naruto's are canon, as he's the only one who has changed) Each and every shinobi had so much potential, but wasted it by focusing on only one ability, and even then there was so much more that the genin could do with them.

The chakra sucker could increase his speed of performance, or make it so that any contact could suck chakra rather than only his hands. Naruto would hold judgment on the puppeteer, considering how short the fight was. Both Chouji and Shikamaru could do so much more with their family jutsu if only they learned some other things to compliment them. Ino and Sakura sucked, enough said. Sasuke had been unable to use his Sharingan for some reason, but Naruto got the feeling that Kakashi was fixing that. Temari was a one trick pony with her fan, and Tenten was even worse. Both Hinata and Neji were pathetic, seeing as all that they had were taijutsu, and even then it was only one style. At least Lee only had taijutsu through no fault of his own.

Of the genin only Lee and Gaara were truly skilled, Lee with taijutsu and Gaara with his sand. Of course, Lee could pick up a weapon as backup and Gaara could avoid the problem with his defense by mastering the elements involved.

Naruto was startled by a scream of joy from Kiba, causing him to look at the screen to see his name. Naruto wasn't ready to fight just yet, but moved down to the arena anyways.

The proctor looked at the two before asking "Ready?" to both. Naruto nodded silently, eyes already evaluating his opponent. Kiba screamed a yes, and with a "haijaime" the battle began. The boy put his dog on the ground and charged Naruto with a yell, only for Naruto's fist to be planted in his face and knocked the boy back.

Spitting blood from his now split lip, he leaned over, Akamaru hopping up onto his back, making a hand seal, or would of if Naruto hadn't stolen Akamaru from Kiba's back in a movement to fast for the boy to see. He knocked the dog out, placing him on the ground while Kiba tried to figure out where he had gone.

"Akamaru, can you smell him? Where is he?" "Right behind you." Kiba whirled around in shock, his lack of reflexes proving catastrophic as he took three heavy punches, cracking every rib, if not breaking one or two. Unwilling to give up, he stumbled back before crouching again, leaping into the trademark spin of his clan.

"**Tsuuga!"** '_Well, that's an interesting technique. I think I'll recreate it, considering how useful it could be.' _Naruto thought as Kiba spun towards him. '_Unfortunately for Kiba, his rotation is rather slow, which will allow me to do this!'_

"**Doton: Doryu Heki!** (Mud Slide Barrier)" He stomped the ground, causing a solid wall of earth to rise up, before spraying a great deal of mud onto the back of the barrier, making it much tougher than the original mud barrier would have been, giving it the hardness of iron.

Kiba slammed into the wall, the spinning ending almost immediately after contact, Kiba's head proving no match for the wall, knocking himself unconscious. Naruto ignored the proctor as he walked back up to the balcony, figuring out ways to recreate a better version of the Inazuka technique.

After a short while the pairings for the finals were set up, with Naruto fighting Neji Hyuuga, and then either Gaara or Sasuke, most likely Gaara. He looked at Kakashi, who had returned right before Naruto's fight, and the man handed him a scroll, telling him in a low voice that he was being forced to train Sasuke for his fight with Gaara. Naruto nodded understandingly, already planning on what to improve during the month.

AN: Alright, I believe I clarified a few things one of you readers asked about in this chapter, and Balatros I believe I answered yours as well, but I'll rewrite it down here as well.

Naruto is about the same level as Kakashi at his best, seeing as my Kakashi has a low-kage level of chakra and is a Ninjutsu and tracking specialist. A battle between the two would go either way in the long run, Naruto possibly winning because of his surprise tactics or Kakashi winning because of his own experience and skill.

It has been proven several times that Kakashi cannot match a Sannin or an Akatsuki member by himself, though he does give a good accounting, so while Naruto can hold his ground against one, he will wind up losing after a while, the only one he might win against being Hidan, because he's fast enough to avoid the scythe. Even then it's only a might.


	17. Chapter 17

"So you fought Orochimaru and the only thing that you lost was your blade?" asked an old, brown-haired man incredulously of the blond standing in front of him. A nod was his response, causing the older man to sigh.

"And you somehow managed to come out with your life and limbs intact…do you know what his objective was?"

"I found it out later from Kakashi. Apparently the man wanted to give Sasuke the cursed seal of heaven, the finished version of the prototype found on Mitarashi Anko. It is already affecting his manner of combat, speech, and basic personality, bringing out the arrogance that he had previously managed to suppress." Naruto said, having seen the results of that seal on the boy already, as Sasuke had arrogantly demanded training from Kakashi before he found out that Kakashi was going to train him anyways.

Danzo shook his head, sighing lightly as he wondered just what the man wanted. He was curious about the mobilization of Suna's shadow corps as well, but he prayed that they were not related.

"So what are you planning to do for this month?" he asked Naruto, as he knew Kakashi was training Sasuke and Danzo himself was needed to devote his full attention to the shadow theatre.

"I am going to increase what I have rather than learn anything new, seeing as my elemental manipulation can always be improved. I nearly have the third level of Earth, and I need to better what few Suiton jutsu I have." Danzo nodded in approval, but left him with a few pieces of advice.

"Two things Naruto; first, Jiraiya of the Sannin is in Konoha. You'll most likely find him in or around the hot springs after he gets done with his meeting with the Hokage. Second, remember that the Chunin Exam is to make Konoha wealthier. You are there to provide a _show_, so no instant win the way you did with Kiba. It's the only time you will ever show off, so be sure to use as many flashy jutsu as you can while still dominating your opposition."

The boy nodded, and the two parted, Danzo to his command room after handing Naruto a new, custom-made Ninjato that he had been intending to be Naruto's second, and Naruto to the training grounds, where he would soon be sought out by an unexpected face.

~Break~

Sarutobi jumped as his former students hands slammed onto the aged desk in front of him.

"Screw you old man! I am going to train my godson, even if I have to kill you to accomplish it!" The fire shadow, remarkably calm considering just _who_ was furious at him, took a moment to observe his student and create an argument to convince the man to see his side of things.

The man in front of him was Jiraiya of the Sannin, standing at 192 centimeters with waist length white hair and two red lines running down from each eye, making an imposing figure with the furious visage he was sporting. A horned forehead protector with the kanji for "oil" covered his forehead, and had a large scroll on his back. He wore a short green kimono with matching pants, mesh armor underneath it. A red haori and arm guards completed his look, the traditional shinobi sandals unseeable at the moment but adding several inches to his already tall frame.

Having stalled enough for the moment, Sarutobi began to speak. "I told you earlier Jiraiya, Naruto is unstable. You did not see his battle with Kiba, the obvious joy he took in damaging a comrade." That was stretching the truth, because Kiba had knocked himself out against Naruto's technique while Naruto looked on emotionlessly.

"I suspect that the Kyuubi is…" "Bullshit!" The man screamed at him, his angry appearance increasing to the point where even Sarutobi was frightened, killing intent raging uncontrolled throughout the room, knocking the ANBU in the corners out from the pressure alone. In a moment of clear-headedness, Sarutobi marveled at Jiraiya's control, as while the KI was raging throughout the room, there would be no trace of it outside the room.

"I know for a fact that the Kyuubi cannot influence Naruto, and even if he could, the seal would prevent anything other than simple conversation! And on the off chance that Naruto _did _enjoy hurting a comrade, which I doubt, the brat probably deserved the pain! After all we both know just how many people have attacked my godson, despite your efforts to hide it!"

Sarutobi damned the man in his mind, knowing it had been Jiraiya who started the boy off on his Shinobi life right after he dropped the three year old off in his crappy apartment. The man had used his skilled seal manipulation to plant several needs in the boy's mind, which lasted even now, to ensure the boy remained healthy. The needs were two, one was to eat healthy and the other was to be careful. It was a brilliant piece of work that ensured that Naruto would never rush into anything unless he had no other choice. He even used seals that temporarily increased his intelligence and strength for the night, and refused to let Sarutobi learn the designs of the seal, despite the use it could be to Konoha.

"And how do you know that? You haven't been in this village in years, despite my demands to the contrary so we can finally get something on Danzo!" Jiraiya scoffed at the older man.

"To your knowledge! I have checked up on my godson biannually for every year he's been alive, if not more! Now, why the heck am I not allowed to teach my godson, the boy that I hovered over as much as I did Minato, the boy I loved like my own son for the only six months I had him, why can I not teach him?" Jiraiya had calmed down enough he was no longer cursing, which was a good sign, but Sarutobi could see the little twitches that told the man the Sannin's temper was close to blowing.

Jiraiya was like a volcano, unlike his teammates. Tsunade beat the crap out of the offending person right away, while Orochimaru got a subtle revenge on the offender. Jiraiya on the other hand took a long time to anger, or something terrible like this, and then his rage was far worse than those of his former teammates. No one was ever left alive when Jiraiya let go.

"And what about your lack of obedience regarding Danzo?" Sarutobi snapped at the white-haired man, attempting to change the subject while giving himself more time to come up with a valid reason. The cold glare that was leveled on the aged fire shadow even as he explained in an icy tone let Sarutobi know his attempt was not working.

"Danzo has only the best interests of the village at heart. While we may not agree on the methods, our goal is one and the same, Konoha thriving in this troubled world. Now, _explain_." The obvious "or suffer the consequences" was there, but left unsaid.

Hiruzen sighed, lowering his head, playing the guilt card. "I cannot let another Orochimaru appear Jiraiya. You know that." The moment he looked up he thought better of his decision, seeing Jiraiya regain control of himself just in time to stop his hand seals for a lethal jutsu.

'_It didn't work on Danzo; I should have known it wouldn't work on Jiraiya. Kuso (damn), why can't anyone see that I am doing what is best for the village? All those years of manipulating the civilian council to ensure the pure imbeciles that are there now came into power so that the Hokage would be able to manipulate any laws he wanted while still maintaining a good image, all those years of backbreaking work I've put into this village, and only now are people questioning me.' _

"Try something else old man." The once affectionate title was now filled with hate and loathing, and Sarutobi knew that he would lose Jiraiya if he didn't make this concession.

"Fine Jiraiya, you can train Naruto. However," his voice became hard, returning to his 'Kami no Shinobi' mode. "If, for any reason, Naruto even attempts to betray the village, I will make sure you regret it." Jiraiya snorted, knowing that there was nothing the old man could do to him. Two of the man's three students were stronger than this wreck of a man, and even if he hated Orochimaru for betraying him and Konoha, he would happily team up with the teme to take the old man down.

~Break~

Jiraiya left the Thirds office, intending to go and actually perv at the hot springs for the first time in several years. A small smirk crossed his face as he recalled the deception he had pulled over the entire world.

His spy network was one of the best in the Elemental Nations for several reasons, one of which was the unorthodox method of delivering information. His spies would use toads (summoned from special seals on their bodies) to paint a unique ink on the wall of the women's hot springs. His special little telescope was the only thing that could read, or even see for that matter, the ink. Summons could be tracked; in fact he had lost more than one set of valuable information because the summoned toad had been intercepted, so he came up with this method.

His world-wide reputation as a Super-Pervert, which, make no mistake he was, was of great use in this. He advanced that reputation quite often, such as writing Icha Icha from his ideas when he actually peeked, and took many opportunities to prove it right. Because of this no one expected him to use hot springs, or brothels even, to do anything other than screw women or peek on them. He actually spent most of his time "peeking" decoding the information. His many exploits in bed ensured that his enemies even thought that they could distract him with genjutsued women, a source of infinite amusement to him.

Unfortunately, his heart belonged only to one, despite her falling from grace with an unparalleled eagerness, and despite his many efforts to sever his affection it had only grown stronger in time, every other woman paling in comparison to her.

Shaking away his morose thoughts, he walked towards the hot springs, only to see a blond blast from the past.

Standing at 153 centimeters with grey pants and a black shirt, along with a beautiful obsidian Haori with a lifelike crimson Kyuubi on the back and two hawks on the front. Spiky blond hair framed a tanned and whiskered face, a black-clothed forehead protector above icy cerulean eyes.

Shaking Minato from his mind Jiraiya looked at his godson, striding towards a training ground with a new ninjato hanging from his waist. That puzzled Jiraiya, as he knew the former one would have been incredibly difficult to break. It was just as plain as the previous one, with grey thread on the handle, so that was the only way he could tell it was new.

Deciding that he had best learn a bit about his godson, not having seen him for seven months, he hid himself and followed the boy. Soon enough they reached an obscure training ground, no one around except for the two of them. The boy's training started soon enough, making two hundred clones after a moments focusing and all of them started training, fifty on earth manipulation, fifty on fire manipulation, fifty on kenjutsu, and the final fifty were working on fire and water jutsu.

Jiraiya was blown away, in a mere seven months he had this many jutsu and was working on two elemental manipulations? '_What the…why in…how…'_ He was unable to even think straight, the sheer _impossibility_ of what he was seeing destroying his coherent thought. This was unheard of! Especially when the entire village was out to ensure that the boy in question was stunted and weak!

When Jiraiya had left, Naruto had been low to mid-chunin, possibly able to take on a low jonin if he had surprise on his side. Now Naruto was high, maybe even elite jonin, just from what he was seeing! Then the original did something impossible, purely impossible. He ran on air! After muttering something the boy had just taken off, blasting through the air faster than most people could move on the ground, a little blue wave splashing out from each foot.

Jiraiya's amazement wound up with his concentration on stealth slipping, which alerted Naruto's superior senses to the fact that someone was watching him, someone powerful. "**Soru"** he muttered, vanishing from view, reappearing in front of Jiraiya and kicking him out of the tree.

'_Today is just not my day_' thought Jiraiya as he got up to seven blades pointed at lethal parts of his body. He kept his hands spread apart, knowing that even with his speed he couldn't take out all seven without getting stabbed, and the only jutsu he had to escape other than the substitution would give the wrong impression.

"So…heh…hello, how are you today?" Jiraiya tried, dying of shame mentally at the failure of a first meeting with his godson. The icy eyes of the original glared into him, making him see a shinigami behind the boy. '_Crap…he has the same look Kushina did when she caught me gathering information at the hot spring she was in. I didn't even know she was in there!'_

"Jiraiya of the Sannin…why are you spying on me?" The voice was completely emotionless, reminding Jiraiya of Sasori of the Red Sand. "Eheh, eheh, I was simply curious as to how…" the pressing of a blade to his throat cut him off.

"Don't try to bullshit your way out of it." Jiraiya sighed, before deciding to be honest. Due to his watching Naruto, he knew the boy was far too smart to accept any excuses.

"I was watching you train because I was curious about how far my godson had come." He watched as Naruto's eyes took on a tinge of satisfaction, like someone who had had a long-standing suspicion confirmed for him.

"So that would make Namikaze Minato, the Yondaime, my father, correct?" Jiraiya winced, and that was all the confirmation Naruto needed. "Alright then." The blades around him poofed into smoke, and Naruto steeped back as the shadow clones dispelled ten by ten.

"So, what do we do now?" Jiraiya grinned at his godson, hoping with all his heart that they could become as close as they should have been to begin with.

"Now I take you out to eat, get to know my godson and you get to know me, before I train you. There's an organization full of S-rank ninja after the…" Naruto's head snapped up, finishing his sentence for him.

"Jinchurikki, and the organizations name is Akatsuki. Known members are Itachi, formerly Orochimaru, and Deidara the mad bomber." Jiraiya was surprised again, as he hadn't known about the last one. Jiraiya wanted to know just where he got the information, but he had his own suspicions and would let it go for now.

"Alright then, let's eat!" Jiraiya said, happy and eager to get started.

AN: "Instead, the old man threw him to the wolves at the orphanage, where he was beaten daily, malnourished, and typically made miserable. He stayed there the first three years of his life, and then was thrown out onto the streets.

The next three years of his life were pure hell, but taught him a lot at least."

That is an excerpt from my very first chapter of this story, which says that Naruto stayed in the orphanage for three years before being on the streets for the next three. He was six when the story really began to kick off. That answers one thing you all ask about.

Second, to **NarutoCanon**, a guest reviewer, I am telling you that Naruto cannot beat Akatsuki in an open fight at the moment. Stealth or ambushes, or if the ninja underestimates Naruto, then he stands a high chance of winning.

To 3ch0, thank you for giving me your honest opinion. I may not enjoy reading about how much my story sucks, but at least it's letting me know someone thinks that way. I do request that you tell me how you would make it better though.

Happy holidays.


	18. Chapter 18

Jiraiya focused on his godson, the blond boy still was not at ease in his presence. The man had tried everything to get the boy to relax and tell him more than the basic information about himself, but Naruto had refused. It was as if he still didn't trust him.

The Sannin sighed, knowing that if he had done what he had supposed to from the beginning it would not be like this. The man had spent years cursing himself over his weakness, which had allowed the Saindame to take Naruto away from him. His long sigh was cut off by a new resolution.

He was going to be the godfather he was supposed to be, and he would start it off by being honest.

"What do I need to do to gain your trust Naruto?" He asked, simple and to the point. It was the best way to gain honest answers after all. The blond shinobi stayed quiet for several minutes, leaning up against the wall behind him in the restaurant they had eaten in.

"I will need honest information from you, so I can piece together many of the things that have been bugging me." He said his tone only a hair better than the emotionless one he had held two hours ago at the training ground.

"About what?" Jiraiya was as serious as anyone had ever seen him, in fact if his enemies could see him now it would ruin the image he had worked years to build. He was going to do his best for Naruto, and not just because Minato would have expected it of him. '_Heh, if the gaki could see his son now. While he wouldn't like the fact that Naruto has a battle-mask on all the time, he would be incredibly proud of how far he has come. I will do my best for you and Kushina, my son.'_

"First is why you left. You are my godfather, and that should not have happened." Jiraiya lowered his head in shame. "Second, I need to know why the Third is insistent at keeping me weak, despite it obviously not working. Next, I need to know an honest record of your skills, to see where I match up. Fourth is more of a curiosity. I want to know more about my father."

Jiraiya nodded in understanding, his keen mind already knowing why the boy wanted to know each thing. He paused for a moment to gather his thoughts and figure out a way to best explain it.

"As I told you during the meal, I took care of you for six months, the first six of your life, despite the efforts of the third to the contrary. I will admit, it was surprisingly some of the best months of my life, you were a little ball of sunshine that brought nothing but joy to me." The man's tone turned sad.

"Unfortunately, after five months I started seeing Minato in you. I had been able to suppress my grief enough to take care of you, but it turned out to be a bad decision. Despite my efforts, the third was able to see you, and it wasn't long before he was comparing you to Minato. That caused me to see my former student in you, and eventually the grief was just too much." A long, shuddering breath wracked the man's frame, the grief still affecting him even now.

"I left you with Rin, one of the students of Minato, as I took two months to deal with my pain. Rin had you for a grand total of one week before she was sent on a mission, and that mission resulted in her death. The third instantly swooped down and placed you in an orphanage, and used the council to craft several laws that prevented me from removing you from the orphanage." The Sannin's voice was now laced with guilt, and it was with sorrow filled eyes that he looked at Naruto.

"I have no excuses for my actions, it was my fault that you were forced to fight for your life for three years. Even during those three years I tried to help you, but something started targeting my spy network.

I trained you enough to keep you alive, to avoid the mobs whether shinobi or civilian, and I ensured that the foundations were laid to make you strong. I removed these memories from you via seals before I left, but the training remained. You just mistakenly believed you gained it through terrible experience. I am both happy and sad that you managed to develop what little I could give you into skills a last year academy student would be jealous of. Happy because you could do it, sad because of what it took.

For what it is worth, I am sorry." Jiraiya finished, and he was indeed sorry, far sorrier than he had ever been before. The nod was not the forgiveness he sought, but it was a start. He sighed before continuing.

"Next you asked about the third, well, that was something I asked about too, especially once I found out that he was being such an asshole." It was a sign of his anger at the man that he cursed, as Jiraiya had always gone out of his way to avoid cursing. He believed that his parents, whoever they were, would have expected better of him than that, and it was only now that he was breaking years of habit. He had cursed more today than on any other occurrence, with the sole exception of when Orochimaru betrayed the village.

"It actually started a long time ago, and just like with Danzo it was out of a desire to see Konoha on top. Whereas Danzo became a silent guardian, Sarutobi became Hokage. The mission where Tobirama died decided the fate of Konoha, and sometimes I wonder if it wouldn't have been better if Danzo took over.

Sarutobi had always wanted to seem like the father of the village, possibly to make up for his own lack of children at the time, as he feared his wife would be unable to produce. Well, he succeeded with the village until the beginning of the second shinobi world war.

The man was forced to make a choice that destroyed an entire countries economy, which wound up with the people of Konoha disliking him. That destroyed him for some time, as Sarutobi has only ever wanted to do what was best for Konoha, and the fact that he was hated for doing so warped his mind." Naruto scoffed at that, but the deadly serious eyes of Jiraiya held him back from doing anything more.

"I know, it's pathetic that such a great man could be turned from a god amongst shinobi to a doddering old fool who lives for public opinion, but his mind was weak at the time, I'm still not sure why. Regardless, even when he recovered he was never the same, more distant then he had been." Jiraiya's eyes misted over in memories.

"At the time I didn't think anything of it, as I was focused on my petty rivalry with Orochimaru and attempting to gain Tsunade's affections, but looking back I can see the changes in him. Before he had been like a father figure to Orochimaru, his favorite student, and afterwards he was distant even to the teme.

I think it was about the time that we faced Hanzo and got our title that the old monkey got his idea. This idea was unheard of in the shinobi villages, heck; it was even unheard of in the long tradition of Daimyo's.

He was obsessed with the image of the Hokage, fixated with the idea that the Hokage should be able to do what they needed to protect the village, yet be able to maintain a nice outward appearance. Of course, there wasn't much he could do with the idea, so he shoved it to the side. But for the rest of the war, Sarutobi was slightly distracted, taking to the field less and less as he puzzled over his little dilemma.

It was only slightly before, but mainly after the Kyuubi attack that he figured it out. The council was well known at that time for being a little power hungry, but they would prefer to help Konoha rather than take advantage of a turbulent time for petty gains. And so entered the manipulator."

Jiraiya was quiet for some time, thinking over just how much his formerly beloved sensei had lost, and how far he had fallen. His long white mane shook back as forth as he did the same to his head, reminding himself that this was not the time to be reflecting on his grief.

"Sarutobi took full advantage of the moment, somehow manipulating the civilian council into not wanting to give up their power after it was time. From then on it was cake to the man, using his skills to insure that the current pathetic civilians got in, allowing him easy access to make laws.

Sure, the man was unable to get everything he wanted done without making concessions. I am unaware of just what concessions were made, but I do know that several civilian family members who were clearly unfit to be shinobi even with our low standards for genin be promoted. The fact that they died not to long afterwards is merely an unfortunate coincidence, or that's how Sarutobi passed it off. The fact that grieving people are easier to manipulate is also just a coincidence I suppose.

Regardless, ever since that one time, Sarutobi has been a slave to public opinion. It is not that he hates you, but more along the lines of the village hating you. Because the majority of the village hates you, he would rather the people of Konoha have an outlet for their anger and grief from the Kyuubi attack. If possible he would have had you remain a civilian, but Danzo would not have allowed that, and the war hawk would have involved the Daimyo."

Jiraiya and Naruto stayed in silence for several minutes as Naruto absorbed the information. The older man took several nervous sips of his drink, watching his godson closely for any sign of emotion. A nod informed the sannin that Naruto was ready to continue. Jiraiya sighed at the fact that he was unable to read Naruto; it bugged him far more than he was willing to admit.

"You asked for my skills next I believe? Well I am one of the three Sannin, and am currently the strongest one. However, I am also willing to admit that I am the strongest now only because Orochimaru stepped out of his arena and into mine when he decided on his newest dream

As you know, the three of us Legendary Sannin had areas where we specialized in. Tsunade's was taijutsu, as with her super strength we proved unable to ever truly match her. Orochimaru's was actually kenjutsu along with his summoning techniques, with a strong backup in genjutsu. It was only after the battle with Hanzo of the Salamanders that he took a true interest in his current dream, that being the mastery of every ninjutsu in existence. He hated the helplessness we faced when we fought that man.

My strength used to lie in sealing in toad techniques, and I still remain far stronger with that then most people will ever be, and it is my go to method of fighting. Where my strength actually lies though is ninjutsu. In my long life I have mastered all five elements and many jutsu of each element, along with creating a few of my own. One of my specialties is turning low ranked jutsu into creations that can threaten other high ranking ninja, especially as it takes less chakra than the higher ranked jutsu.

My taijutsu is also at a high level, but I fight defensively with that, using the time to set up my opponent for combo's and traps." The man's eyes had a bit of a glint to them, obviously taking pride in his skills. He had left multiple things out, and Naruto knew that, but he also respected it. After all, what shinobi worth his salt would tell another shinobi their full skillset? It was just asking for death, the same as those who took the time to explain their unique techniques on the battlefield.

"Telling you about your father will have to wait though, as I could easily spend months waxing on about him, rather than doing what should be done, which right now is training you to match up to the strongest of foes."

Naruto stared penetratingly at the perverted sage for some time, causing him to shift uncomfortably. "Ask your questions then, but I reserve the right to leave some of them unanswered." Jiraiya nodded, already pondering on just what all he wanted to ask Naruto. Perhaps the most pressing one was already fighting to get out, so he voiced it.

"During my time away, or even recently, have you made any friends? Comrades even?" His tone was anxious, hopeful, praying that the answer was positive.

"Up until the point of my initiation as a genin I had little to no contact with anyone in my graduating class, or anyone in the village for that matter. I was too focused on my training, well, that and the fact that the rare attempt I made was shot down by the person's parents and the villagers.

Upon reaching genin level and being assigned to the team I found a comrade in Kakashi, who has informed me as to the identity of my mother. He has some of my trust, and is the closest thing I have to a friend." Naruto's eyes turned icy, letting Jiraiya know to be on guard for the next bit.

"This will not leave the two of us, am I understood?" Jiraiya nodded, his incredible senses working overdrive to make sure that no one was close enough to hear them.

"After Kakashi and the others began taking missions without me I joined Root for six months. Whilst I made no friends in that core, Danzo gained a place of value in my mind. He ensured I had what I needed to survive, as well as making sure I could improve beyond recognition." The blond fell silent, eyes returning to their normal cool cerulean and Naruto waited for the next question.

Jiraiya wracked his brains for the questions that had been buzzing around just minutes ago, but a curse of humanity fell upon him. Now that the moment was available he was unable to word any of the questions he wished to ask properly. He decided to work with it anyways.

"What motivates you? What are your goals, your dreams, your ideals and values?" Naruto was silent, resulting in another few minutes of anxiety for Jiraiya, wondering if the boy was going to answer him.

"The desire to survive motivates me. Regardless as to how screwed up it is, the only one with the right to end my existence is me. Because of that I will work my ass off to grow strong enough to kill any who threaten me. Seeing as I have no friends, and the only two I care somewhat about are more than capable of protecting themselves, I see no purpose in fighting to protect them.

My ideals are practically nonexistent. My own life has ruined me of any childish ideals that may affect my performance, and my values are much the same. I value a moment of peace, but also the moment my blade sinks into an enemy's flesh and the blood splatters the ground. If you are in my way I kill you, simple as that."

A shiver trailed down Jiraiya's spine at those words, and the pure _promise _that they held. Those were not the words of a cocky genin, that was the fact of a world weary shinobi's life.

"My sole goal is to survive, and I will do whatever it takes to achieve it. On the odd chance that someone does take me down, well" a sinister grin slid onto Naruto's features, and for a moment the older man saw a demon behind the boy.

"They won't live long enough to celebrate it!"

In the aftermath of that bold statement Naruto's face easily slid back into its usual emotionless mask, but left Jiraiya curious and slightly disturbed. '_Naruto has had more damage done to him than I thought he would and I don't believe Root was the best option for him to recover. Apparently he has had more attempts on his life than I thought. I wonder just when he decided to fight for his right to exist rather than suicide?'_ Shaking his head away from the sudden morbid turn to his thoughts, Jiraiya continued on with his questioning.

"What is your skill level?" Naruto gave no indication that he heard the white-haired man as he attempted to judge an area to put his skill level at.

"I can hold off Orochimaru of the Sannin for some time, perhaps even if he were to go all out I would still be able to hold my ground, seeing as I still have a few tricks he hasn't seen. Anyone else of his level I stand a chance against normally, but with Orochimaru I can only hold off because of his unique weapon."

"The Kusanagi." Jiraiya stated, causing the blond to nod.

"My ninjato was a high quality one, but I was forced to use large amounts of chakra to keep it from being sliced to pieces when we fought, and even then it shattered at the end of the fight. Seeing as Orochimaru is a skilled swordsman it would be suicide for me to go up against him with anything less than a high quality blade, but the amount of chakra I waste by keeping the blade together winds up in him gaining the upper hand, seeing as I am unable to divert that chakra to other, more tactically useful ways.

If I was to place myself at a level I would say that I am slightly better than Kakashi, but only slightly, his experience might allow him to one-up me. Of course I cannot beat an expert in their area of focus, but I can match them for a while." Jiraiya hummed lightly to himself in thought before asking a new question.

"Is this with or without the Kyuubi's chakra? Oh, and how much control do you have over it?" Naruto stared at Jiraiya, making the man uncomfortable yet again, before speaking.

"This is without the Kyuubi's chakra, not that it is any of your business, especially considering that if I dare to use the Kyuubi's chakra I stand a high risk of losing my shinobi career, but I have control over three tails of the Kyuubi's chakra. Of course, it comes with a cost." Jiraiya waited for several minutes, but apparently the cost was not going to be shared today. He came to a decision, seeing as he was unable to draw forth anymore questions.

'_After all, the best way to get to know someone is to fight them, and I am sure Naruto would be up to a training spar…'_

"Alright then Naruto, how about something different now?" The boy tilted his head slightly, showing that he was listening. "You and me spar, all out." The boy stated something that made Jiraiya's blood run cold, despite the façade of bravado he swiftly placed. It wasn't even what was said that got to him, more of how it was said.

"You will die." Cold, emotionless, as much interest as Jiraiya would show a male civilian, and stated clearly as a fact.

"We'll see about that now won't we Naruto?" He chuckled, sweating internally as he wondered if he truly would have to go all out for this. He hoped not, going all out was a pain.

~Break~

Two men stood across from each other in a clearing, one with a drawn ninjato and the other with a kunai in hand. The taller of the two smirked, "come on" gesture with his free hand. He was swiftly surprised to find a cut on his arm; thankfully it was only a cut thanks to a last second doge. The blond boy appeared in mid-air in front of him, sword ready for a stab.

"Underestimate me and you really will die." He coldly stated as he stabbed the Sannin, wrenching his blade free from a log a moment later. Naruto whirled around, hurling a dozen Senbon at the white-haired man from where he had appeared just a few feet behind him.

Each and every Senbon was deflected with a slight clang before the boy paused a moment to observe his opponent. Jiraiya was still standing there in a ready position, a smirk clear on his face. Most other opponents would have gotten angry at that, and by consequence gotten sloppy, but Naruto was far better than that. Instead he watched as the man was surprised by a pair of clones, the two engaging him in ninjato to kunai combat, the man barely keeping up.

'_Crap, I got cocky.'_ Were Jiraiya's thoughts as he blocked one blow while dodging another. '_Their herding me somewhere…I need to end this and fast. The original has been left alone long enough to make several traps.'_

Using a quick burst of speed Jiraiya tried to eliminate the clones, only to realize that they easily kept up with the new speed. He amped up the speed to his max for a brief moment, marveling at how the clones still kept up with him. Still, he was faster than them, and was able to knock them both off balance and leap into the air, throwing the kunai at one and striking it through the head while preparing seals for a technique. He never got far enough to use it.

A large muddy stone structure appeared from the ground in the shape of a dragon's head before shooting nearly a dozen massive cannonballs of earth in a few seconds. '_**Doton: Doryuudan no Jutsu!**__ (Earth Dragon Blast)' he thought with a bit of fear. _He had no time to gather chakra for a kawamiri considering he had been molding elemental chakra, so he changed the garget of his attack to the cannonballs, hoping to drill a hole through them.

"**Raiton: Raikou Boruto no Jutsu**! (Lightning bolt)" A D-Rank technique to begin with, Jiraiya proved his point from earlier by turning the simple technique into a high A-Rank as a massive, single bolt of lightning seared out from his hands and pierced through the mud balls headed directly for him, allowing him to simply fall in peace and prepare his next jutsu.

Jiraiya hit the ground as the smoke from the collisions cleared, both Naruto and he unleashing their techniques at the same time.

"**Raiton: Piercing Arrows!" **Muttered Jiraiya, two fingers pointed out from each hand, one at Naruto and one at the dragon head.

Naruto countered with one he did not expect from the boy, foolishly believing he would stick to earth techniques. "**Katon: Phoenix flower jutsu!" **Naruto showed his own skill at turning simple techniques deadly, combining the small but hot fire balls with the massive mud balls fired from his dragon, the pair shooting a score of flaming mud balls, with the mud at the consistency of stone. The raiton technique didn't stand a chance against the combined technique, and Jiraiya was forced to substitute to a different side of the field.

That came in quite handy as he used the same jutsu again, single handed this time, to destroy the dragon head before Naruto could locate him.

The two continued to form new jutsu, remaining in Jiraiya's field of expertise because of Naruto's lack of time to do anything else. Jiraiya roared out a new technique as Naruto stamped the ground.

"**Doton: Doryu Taiga! **(Mud River)" A large portion of the ground between Jiraiya and Naruto converted to mud, forming swiftly into a raging avalanche of mud and earth, along with several hidden boulders carrying along with it to bludgeon anyone caught in the technique.

"**Doton: Tsuka no Tsuchi Souzou! **(Earth mound creation)" In accordance with Naruto's strategy a steeply sloped mound rose up twenty feet with Naruto standing at its peak, the mud roaring around him as the boulders struck the hill and bounced off. Jiraiya had no time to curse his ill fortune because Naruto's next technique was already taking affect.

"**Doton: Bakudan!** (Earth bomb)" The earth underneath Jiraiya shifted slightly, and that was all the warning the man got before a massive explosion rocked the battlefield, the earth river swiftly ceasing with no more chakra to guide it. Naruto looked around himself, stretching out his senses. He knew Jiraiya would not fall from that.

Meanwhile the man was hidden in the woods observing the boy. '_His abilities are truly incredible, and he is mainly using earth techniques. This kid is a pain to fight because he adapts to the lightning jutsu I have mastered as fast as I can crank them out. When combined with the enhanced chakra reserves from the Kyuubi Naruto could easily be a monster on the battlefield, every bit as feared as his father was.'_ He looked at his burnt right arm, wincing as he saw the blackened flesh.

'_That was a great strategy, blasting upwards in order to both avoid whatever attack I made as well as to get a clear view of me, which he used to make the __**Bakudan.**__ Quite an explosion as well, but I am afraid that I am going to have to go all out.'_ He made a few single handed seals and his left hand glowed green, rubbing the hand over the burnt flesh of his arm he sighed in relief when the pain disappeared. '_Having Tsunade as a teammate was good for more than just eye-candy.'_

He looked back at the clearing, only to see no Naruto. He mentally swore at himself for getting distracted as he extended his senses. He found the boy alright.

"**Katon: Searing Migraine!"** A massive amount of fire spewed from Naruto's mouth, and only a very swift technique from Jiraiya stopped him from becoming extra crispy.

"**Suiton: Mizu Tate no Jutsu!** (Water shield Technique)" A shield of water formed around Jiraiya in a cylindrical barrier, barely protecting him from the flames. Jiraiya, though not knowing yet, had just fallen into another trap of Naruto's.

Using the liquid from the mud where Jiraiya had created a mud river the blond used his own water technique from behind Jiraiya, the underpowered Katon technique having been a distraction by a clone.

"**Suiton: Suihou no Jutsu! **(Water cannon technique)" A boiling beam of water sprayed from Naruto's mouth, straight on path towards Jiraiya and strong enough to cut through stone. The older ninja was skewered, at least until the shattered remnants of the log hit the ground.

A kunai stabbed through Naruto, but he burst into dust, causing Jiraiya to cough and stumble backwards, the dust in his eyes and lungs and that provided enough time for the real Naruto to knock him out, ending the fight.

He stood looking at the older man for several minutes, finally accepting it was the real Jiraiya. He sat down and analyzed the fight. Something told him that Jiraiya was not truly going all out; after all he didn't use summons or seals. Naruto supposed that the elder man wished to test his Ninjutsu, as that had been what most of the fight had been. He awoke Sannin and they soon began again, this time in melee, with Jiraiya pointing out the mistakes the boy made and just how to fix them efficiently.

~End~

AN: Holidays are now over for me, and here you go a chapter on my first day back. Thank you R. Peter for pointing out that I had not shown what motivated Naruto, I apologize for that and hoped this answered some of your questions. I have gotten a complaint or two about the lack of change from canon events, well; I answered that as well in this one.

Naruto has had very little contact with anyone to change the events, so he will have little effect on plans involving Konoha at the moment. For now he just wants to survive, because his years on the streets have not left him.

Next, thank you Red for the compliment on my villages, I thought that out quite a bit and will expand on it in the future. Thanks to anyone else who complimented it, but he or she is the one I am seeing at the moment.

In regards to Orochimaru he is like Danzo, greyer than anything else at this point. His only limit is child experiments, and that is limited to younger children. Anko was his apprentice, so it is only natural he formed a bond with her similar to the one between Jiraiya and Minato.

Illusionfox I am unsure of the pairings at the moment, but I know that fem Haku will not work because, well, Haku's dead. Naruto killed her. Naruto at this point is not the kind of person to explore a relationship anyways. Perhaps in the Shippuden arcs.


	19. Chapter 19

The air was ripe with anticipation and nerves, the crowd's chatter a dull roar in the background. It was odd how nerves could infect even those who were sure of their prowess, as Naruto was, for the first time in his life, experiencing a sense of nervousness. Nothing serious or jittery, but he had a tense feeling in his stomach and his senses were all a full blast, as if expecting someone to attack.

He took a deep breath, calming himself. He hated crowds like this, and he hated performing in front of crowds. It went against everything a Shinobi was, against every sense of stealth Naruto had achieved. He hated the fact that he would have to use his techniques and skills in front of a crowd, especially seeing as bingo book scouts stalked the chunin exam finals. If he wasn't careful his entry would be filled up with more accurate information than it currently had.

The blond looked across at his soon to be opponent, Neji Hyuga, the Hyuga prodigy of the branch clan. According to Danzo's information the boy everyone claimed to have "revolutionized" the Jyuuken, or the Hyuga taijutsu style, was actually just as caught up in clan arrogance as every other one of the Byakugan clan. In other words Neji fought only at close range and was vulnerable to every long-range technique in the book. However, he had apparently used his teammate Tenten, the weapon's mistress who lost in the preliminary round, to learn the Hyuga technique **Kaiten** (Rotation) and the famous **Sixty-four Palms** technique.

Both techniques were legends in other villages, and for good reason. Anyone struck by even four attacks from the second technique would find their chakra control shot to pieces and find themselves in a great deal of pain. Anymore attacks that landed would multiply that affect. The Rotation technique on the other hand was famous for being an "Ultimate Defense," which Naruto knew was false, and used a rotating chakra half sphere to deflect any ranged attack. It took a lot of chakra to perform however, which meant that a Hyuga could not use the technique to many times, or risks having their taijutsu become useless.

~Break~

Five people watched the finalists in general and Naruto in particular. Each of these five had an interest in the boy, for good or for ill, and would use this to see just how far he had come.

First was Danzo Shimura, the aged war hawk of Konoha and the original holder of Naruto's current bingo book title, famed for his vacuum techniques and genjutsu. On the other side of the coin he was the face of the Real Konoha, the Shinobi side, which ensured that Konoha stayed at the top. A dark and manipulative man, Danzo was the head of Root, an elite force of shinobi, and was here today for several reasons, one of which was Naruto.

His interest in Naruto was varied, both professional and personal. As the head of the real Konoha Danzo had a responsibility to ensure its weapon was at his full potential in case the village needed to call upon the might of the Bijuu the boy contained. In regards to this he had trained the boy, and ensured that the boy had the skill necessary to be useful to Konoha.

In a more personal interest, he hoped to watch today in pride as one of the men he considered a son made his mark on the lighter side of the shinobi world. After training the boy in the ways of a shinobi he had become attached to the boy, not enough to compromise the boy's use, but enough that he would move heaven and earth to ensure the boy would survive whatever happened. It was what he would do for all of his children after all.

The second man was a very tall man with a large, spiky white ponytail and two red lines running down his cheeks from his eyes. This was the Legendary Toad Sage, better known as Jiraiya. His interest here was completely personal, even if it would become professional later on.

Uzumaki Naruto was his godson, and he was here to watch the boy carve through the finals. The past months training with the boy had resulted in him knowing more about the blond than any other than Danzo at the moment, and that was only because Naruto trained the skills with him that he had been unable to with Danzo.

In accordance with his vow, he had been there for Naruto every chance he got the entire month, not even checking his spy network in favor of his godson. No news could possibly important enough to interfere with his time that he didn't already know.

Jiraiya had changed Naruto in a remarkably short time. The elder man knew that Naruto had neither need nor desire for a parental figure, and as such had stepped in as a friend and comrade, in addition to taking every opportunity to use his wealth achieved via his cover to treat the boy to meals. He had known about the lack of food in restaurants the boy had eaten, and aimed to fix that, and the two had visited the better part of Konoha's restaurants during the month, with a different one each time.

Jiraiya was a naturally cheerful and optimistic man, and having Naruto hang out with someone like him for the first time in his life had resulted in Naruto being capable of lightening up a little. Admittedly it was only around Jiraiya, but the fact remained that it happened. Jiraiya had been unable to convince the boy to lighten up in public, but between Jiraiya, the hawks, and the toads Naruto's defenses had been attacked from three sides and had fallen to pieces. Gamakichi and Takami had helped quite a bit with this.

Regardless, the boy no longer focused solely on surviving, and was now able to relax enough to enjoy the passing scenery. The fact that he remained on guard and continued to kill things that startled him was just the proper behaviors of shinobi.

The third man was the final one with a mostly benevolent attitude towards the boy, but the unique thing about this man was that unlike the other two he was just a clone, shadow clone to be precise. This was the shadow clone of Hatake Kakashi, the Copy-Nin, son of the Legendary White Fang, and assigned sensei to Naruto. He considered himself the fun older brother of Naruto, but would not be caught saying that seeing as his failure to protect the boy weighed heavily on him still.

He was here to watch Naruto destroy his opposition, and could easily admit that he would gain a thrill watching Naruto trash the other competitors. Especially one of his other genin. That other genin, Uchiha Sasuke, was the reason that Kakashi had only been able to send a clone rather than show up and watch in person like he would have preferred. The Uchiha wanted a last jutsu handed to him before they left.

Kakashi knew that Sasuke could beat Gaara, despite the formers lack of hard work this month, preferring instead to have things handed to him. Sasuke had worked his butt off, but only on the jutsu. Despite Kakashi's efforts to the contrary, Sasuke had copied one jutsu from Kakashi that ensured he would win, provided the boy was able to use it correctly. He was already showing an annoying tendency to focus solely on that jutsu however, so Kakashi couldn't find it in himself to hope for the boy's success.

However what Kakashi had done was make a rather large bet on Naruto to destroy Sasuke if they fought. He was already going to make money from the Naruto-Neji fight, but the Naruto-Sasuke fight would make him a very rich Cyclops if it happened.

The fourth person to be watching Naruto had a lot of interest in the boy, but very little personal connections to him. This was the Legendary Snake Sannin, Orochimaru. He was looking forward to seeing if the son of his former rival and friend had improved any, as well as seeing if he could find a way to take the boy away from Konoha.

In his mind the boy had been turned into a weapon for Konoha, and he hated it. It reminded him to much of what the Third had tried to force him to do with the Mokuton, the Shodaime's bloodline. As a result of this, Orochimaru wanted nothing more than to destroy the Third Hokage and take Naruto away from Konoha, both as reparation for his own sins at the time as well as a last favor to Minato.

Orochimaru, disguised as the Kazekage, looked over at the Hokage, taking comfort in the fact that the man would soon die. It was cruel of him to use both Oto and Suna to attack Konoha for the sole purpose of allowing him time to kill the third, but the Leaf village deserved it. After all they had done many things that even Danzo, head of the shadow side of the Hidden Leaf was unaware of. That caused him to snort. '_Hidden Leaf indeed._'

The fifth was one that had no personal interest in Naruto other than seeing him kept loyal to the village. This was the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, and well known as the God of Shinobi. The title was a bit of a misnomer, as he was by no means the best Shinobi there. Even in his prime with all the experience he had now he would be defeated by Jiraiya, who despite his loss to Naruto would most likely defeat him. After all, Jiraiya only lost because he let his guard down at the last moment, allowing him to be enveloped in dust.

Back to the Hokage, the Third was watching Naruto for several reasons; the most important one was to ensure he showed no signs of betraying the village. The second reason was an attempt to gain an accurate accounting of his skills, as he knew Jiraiya would have done everything he could to make the boy a true god amongst shinobi.

A lesser reason, but still quite pressing, was because he was looking for openings in the boy's guard. He fully intended to have Naruto assassinated after the Chunin exams if he could and the Kyuubi transferred to a less public Jinchurriki, so that the wonderful villagers of Konoha will be left in peace with the memories of their loved ones who fell during the Kyuubi attack, rather than dealing with a reminder of their pain and suffering every day in the form of the Uzumaki.

Lastly he was there to make sure Orochimaru, who he knew was sitting next to him, didn't get close to him. After all the boy could easily be convinced to betray the village and Orochimaru was an expert at convincing people to do things they wouldn't originally want to.

Those five men were the only ones, who focused specifically on Naruto, and of the five only two knew what sort of tactics the boy would use, but only one knew the boy's battle plan for Neji.

~Break~

"Are both sides ready?" asked the proctor of the two ninja standing in front of the massive crowd, which was full of civilians, ninja, and nobles alike. There were even two Daimyo there.

There was a nod from the blond a scoff from the Hyuga, but a nod anyways, and he started the fight off.

"Haijime! (Begin)"

Neji was about to start a monologue to take the blond off guard and relax him, but something swiftly approached that required he reveal something far earlier than he planned.

"**Katon: Intelligent Hard Work!"** An improved version of the **Searing migraine **technique, Neji watched on curiously as a very small crimson fire ball fell flat a few feet away from Naruto. The fireball splashed on the ground, seemingly doing nothing at first. Neji laughed.

"Ha! Are you so much of a failure that you cannot make a simple fireball properly? You had might as well give up…" Neji would have continued; in fact he had a plan to demolish the morals of this apparent dead last. However, four faces had smirked sinisterly when Naruto's technique was called out, and one had winced in a pained sympathy and fear.

Intelligent hard work was a unique little jutsu, as the user had an incredible amount of control over the jutsu once it was mastered. Unlike the Searing Migraine, which was merely and incredibly fast wave of blazing flames traveling across the ground at great speed, causing a headache for those who attempt to avoid it, Intelligent Hard work would, with enough hard work put into it, fool the opponent. The little flickers of fire on the field would burst when the user willed it.

And Naruto chose to have it burst now.

To the audience there was a huge change in the field, one second there were little flames and the next one there was a massive wall of demonic crimson fire surging towards Neji, who had started to spin.

"**Kaiten! (**Rotation)" A dome of blue chakra covered Neji as he spun, and as the wave crashed upon it the dome buckled, nearly breaking, but it held and the fire was knocked away, scattering flames amongst the battlefield.

In the Daimyo and noble boxes, the latter of which was filled with young and wealthy people, both groups were now quite excited. One genin from Konoha was controlling flames with a degree they had never seen here, and the second had an impenetrable defense. Or so they thought, but the damage to the other villages reputation was already beginning, as no other genin from a separate village was capable of those!

A panting Neji was revealed from the smoke, Byakugan activated and carefully watching each and every flickering flame. He had never seen something like that, nor had he heard of it, and it was causing him quite a bit of irritation. He vowed not to underestimate the blond again.

Not taking any chances now he charged towards Naruto, never taking his eyes from the flames in case there was another nasty surprise, attempting to end it now before he actually got hurt. The kaiten had almost broken with that jutsu, and a small nagging piece of his mind said that Naruto could have broken it if he really tried.

"**Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms!**" A green set of circles glowed on the field, wowing the spectators as Neji attempted to end the fight.

"Two Palms! Four Palms! Eight Palms! Sixteen Palms! Thirty-Two Palms! Tri-Sixty-Four Palms!"

Every single attack was dodged or slapped away, Naruto moving faster than Neji had ever been able to, moving past the speed of Lee with his weights off during the Preliminaries. Neji finished the attack and Naruto kicked him several feet back. Neji landed panting.

"Is that all you've got?" Naruto asked mockingly. It achieved what he wanted, and Neji heedlessly charged again, right into Naruto's trap.

"**Doton: Torappingu no Jutsu** is a success." He stated coldly. Neji looked around himself in horror as he was now fifteen feet deep in the ground.

"When did you make this?" He asked.

"When I kicked you. Proctor if you would call the match, I am perfectly suited to killing him from this position." The proctor nodded and called the match, knowing that that hole prevented chakra usage.

"Winner: Uzumaki Naruto!"

The nobles roared with happiness, now this fire user could make massive holes without anyone noticing? Surely Konoha was the best.

The citizens of Konoha on the other hand were not so happy, and more than one statement about demons and freedom was made.

The next fight was supposed to be Sasuke vs. Gaara, but the former did not show up, so Sarutobi, being the good lord he was, postponed the match until the end to give the boy time to show up. Kankorou forfeited next, and finally Shikamaru and Temari went down to fight.

When compared to Naruto's brief but exciting battle with Neji this fight was slow and boring to the spectators, the point remained that the Konoha clearly won, even if he forfeited right afterwards. During this time Neji and Hiashi of the Hyuga had a heart to heart talk about what had happened with the boy's father, Hiashi having given his word to his brother to not tell the boy what really happened until the boy was in his first chunin exam. He had tried during the month, but Neji had brushed him off in favor of training.

When Neji forgave Hiashi, the man was quite pleased. His kind, but weak daughter had finally buckled down on training to fight rather than just healing, and now Neji could be a part of the family again.

Ten minutes after the end of the last fight Kakashi showed up with a shunshin. In any other circumstance it would have been interesting, but the nobles had seen someone create a massive wave of fire from a little ball, along with somehow making a massive hole, so it honestly wasn't that impressive to the wealthier part of the crowd.

The citizens of Konoha however roared for their Uchiha, making Sarutobi somewhat smug over how well he knew his village. It disgusted the disguised Kazekage next to him however.

'_This is why I hold no guilt for plotting the destruction of my village.'_ Orochimaru though. '_These imbeciles focus solely on people from great clans and from famous parents. They happily and eagerly throw aside those with equal or greater potential in exchange for shinobi with a greater name.'_

That had happened to a friend of his, his first friend actually, who had worked his hardest to become a shinobi but had been incredibly ill during the final test at the academy. Because of that he had done poorly on the test, resulting in him tying for dead last with a clan member. They would only take one into the genin teams at that time because the dead lasts were seen as a liability for the village. When the two went up for review his friend had lost and was kicked out of the shinobi program, despite his failure being because of illness and the clan members was because of ineptitude. Orochimaru had never forgotten about that.

Still, the crowd looked on in interest as Sasuke fought to get through Gaara's shield. They oohed and ahhed when he held lightning, impressing the civilians and forcing Kakashi, who had been watching the fight after absorbing his clones memories, nearly face-planted.

'_I gave him so many ideas how to get through his ultimate defense. He is a god-damn Uchiha, and he has a minor fire affinity! One of the jutsu I taught him was __**Katon: Nanatsu Kyuuten**__ (Seven Heavens) a fire jutsu that would easily destroy any defenses the boy at even the little level of skill he had with it! He can manage two out of the spears and that is more than enough to destroy that globe. Hell, those two spears take less chakra then the __**Chidori**_** (**I think you all know what that means) _does. Pathetic.'_

Naruto watched Sasuke charging towards Gaara and stabbing through the sand shield. A scream raged through the area, along with a few words that Naruto was no longer interested in figuring out. Jiraiya had just appeared next to him, and he knew what that meant even before the man hissed the words into his ear.

"It's beginning. Be careful Naruto." He nodded acknowledgement and Jiraiya left to stop any large attacks before they while feathers floated down from the heavens.

~Break~

It began in an instant. One second everyone was awake and watching curiously as feathers fell and the next everyone without shinobi training (and some with) fell asleep where they were. Naruto immediately began handsigns for a jutsu as the walls busted down.

"**Katon: Yurika no Jutsu **(Fire Lily technique)!" The elder brother of the grand fireball and phoenix flower techniques, this fire style move was usually kept in the upper echelons of fire users, requiring both a great deal of chakra to use as well as needing to have mastered the first to exercises for manipulating fire style.

A well known engagement ender was sent from the genin's mouth, much to the amazement of the surrounding Jonin.

A dozen blood-colored fireballs were blown from Naruto's mouth, blasting at great speed and at the size of a small ball, comparable to the size of pool balls. The original technique has fireballs with comparable size and power to that of the grand fire ball technique at its best, but Naruto was better than that.

Each ball pierced through the head of a different Oto-nin before exploding with a huge bang. Each one took out many ninja and left major craters in the ground. It was impossible to tell just how many ninja died there because the not even ashes remained of the dead ninja. The surrounding ninja gaped at Naruto until Kakashi barked an order towards them to head to evacuate the civilians.

He walked over to the blond, who was breathing a bit heavier than before with the strain of the jutsu.

"Impressive. Sasuke and Sakura ran off after the sand team, I need you to head after them and save them. I thought Sasuke could beat Gaara but with the chakra wasted on the **Chidori** I doubt it now. The red-head is a Jinchurikki, so make sure he doesn't get near the village if you can." Naruto nodded in agreement, before heading off.

He swiftly found the trail and was catching up quickly before seven jonin stopped him. "I don't have time for this," he stated coldly. They laughed, being arrogant and rude until the bodies started to hit the floor.

The last one left was now afraid for his life, looking at his former comrades who had been killed in various ways, except for one who was somehow still alive after being castrated. That brief moment of fear was all he got before Naruto's ninjato removed his head from his neck. He continued on his way, mentally cursing the useless imbeciles.

He arrived just in time to see Gaara send Sakura flying from where she had been kneeling and crying over Sasuke's motionless body. Naruto ignored that for the moment, instead focusing on Gaara.

The red-head had a massive brown arm of sand molded to his right arm, and upon seeing Naruto he grew ticked off and screamed at him. "Mother will have your blood Uzumaki!" he yelled as he made a hand seal with his left hand. It caused more sand to form on his left hand, and a tail of the same material formed as well.

As he dodged the large and slow (to him) swings, he contemplated how to get close. '_Big, slow, useless. The only problem is that they are able to extend, and…'_ he attempted to punch one only to almost break his hand. '_They are quite sturdy. I could use Soru, but I would rather not have my leg muscles being damaged. I still need twenty minutes before I can use it again after taking out those Jonin.'_

Naruto got fed up when the boy sent hundreds of sand shuriken at him, and used a jutsu. "**Doton: Doryu Heki! (**Mud slide barrier)" Expelling mud from his mouth Naruto swiftly made a wall, cutting off Gaara's view of him.

The boy looked around, more sand forming around him in response to his anger until he looked like a mini-Shukaku. The next thing Gaara knew of Naruto was an immense pain in his stomach.

"**Katon: Nan. **(Seven)" The highest of the techniques for mastering fire chakra control, this technique was reputed to slice through metals, and the user turned their entire body into a blazing hot machine, making it deadly for taijutsu combat.

Gaara looked at his stomach, seeing Naruto's cooling had their, and screamed. Naruto leaped back, but despite that he was still blown away by the massive amount of sand that spiraled upwards around Gaara, and he was only just able to use Geppou to avoid being killed by a broken neck.

He looked up at the boy, far up on top of the bjiu's head as the last words the boy said drifted down to him. "**Possum Jutsu…**" He had enough time to think '_oh shit'_ before the massive Biju started talking. "I'M FREE! Now who to kill? Oh, an ant! Come here little ant, I want to PLAY with YOU!" it screamed before giggling insanely. Naruto stared unmoving at the creature before resigning himself to the inevitable. Then he said six words that scared the insane Biju to the point where he nearly gave control back to his host voluntarily.

"**Kuchyoise no Jutsu: Kyuubi no Kitsune!"**

The boy slashed his palm with a kunai before slamming it on the ground. Thunderclouds formed over head and lightning flashed ominously as an explosion of thunder and smoke took up the battlefield.

A unholy and insane laughter, far more ominous than Shukaku's could ever _hope_ to be filled the air, and every head in Konoha turned towards the area of the titan in pure, unbelieving fear.

~Break~

Orochimaru smirked at the pale man across from him, reveling in the feel of the ominous chakra. "Looks like your little weapon has turned against you Sa~ru~to~bi!" He cackled. The ashen man turned to his former student, pleading with him.

"The Kyuubi will destroy us all! You have to drop the barricade and help me drive it away! Please Orochimaru, for whatever love you once had for Konoha and Anko, help me!"

The Snake Sannin's happy grin vanished, and an angry snarl replaced it.

"Help you? Now why the f…heck would I do that?" Orochimaru had started to curse, but years from having a genin teammate who hated cursing and another who would hit him every time he tried kept him from doing so. Sarutobi didn't notice the slip.

"After all this village and you have done to me what makes you think I would make any attempt to save it?" Sarutobi looked at him desperately.

"Don't hold what you have against me towards the village! I know I should have been there for you as I promised but…" He was cut off by the laugh of a broken man.

"Hahahahahah…ohohohohoho. There for me?" Glowing yellow eyes glared at him from a curtain of obsidian colored hair.

"You have never been there for me, or anyone else for that matter. Where were you when those jonin cornered us before the second war? Where were you when Jiraiya was shattered by the rejection of Tsunade for the first time, even before he began those perverted antics? Where were you when Tsunade lost Nawaki?" Sarutobi's head fell lower with each reminder of his guilt.

"Actually, I don't even truly hate you for what you did to me, with the exception of Anko and the child-experiments." Sarutobi looked up in confusion, meeting the hateful eyes of his former student.

"I hate you for what you did to Jiraiya and Anko!" That confused Sarutobi, as he had no idea about what he had done.

"When Jiraiya joined our Genin team he was weak, pathetic even. No jutsu under his belt, his taijutsu style sucked, hopeless at genjutsu or any kind of weapon, the boy was sure to die on his first mission." That brought the Third back to happier times, when he watched three happy children bond together. He was jerked back by Orochimaru continuing.

"This was not from Jiraiya's lack of effort, but because of his orphan status. At that time we had to pay for books, and those orphans not blessed with a benefactor like me had no money to get any books. On top of that the instructors focused solely on those with clans or wealthy benefactors like me. So despite his efforts to the contrary, Jiraiya was useless in a fight.

I didn't see it at first, expecting that the Hokage would be competent enough to fix an obviously willing student's problems. He perfected the few jutsu you taught him that were D-Rank to a level that can stop an A-Rank before we even left on a mission!

But no, you focused on me and Tsunade every time. Regardless of what happened, it was Tsunade and I that you trained and complimented and cared for, not Jiraiya. Jiraiya was depressed, and turned towards perversion to take his mind off things. Despite that, he continued to train, and I am willing to admit that not to long after we faced Hanzo he was stronger than I.

But your neglect of Jiraiya is just the tip of the Iceburg." Then Sarutobi saw something that truly frightened him even as an explosion shook the world. Orochimaru drew the famed Kusanagi, looking for all the world the insane man that he was.

"You betrayed Anko, your niece." Sarutobi stared in horror, shocked that the man had found out. He had hidden any and all relations to himself thanks to name changing and record changing to avoid any assassination attempts. The fact that he was quite estranged from his brother had nothing to do with it.

"When you exiled me for carrying out your orders I left Anko in the village, knowing that at least she would be safe there. However, you couldn't have that could you? You made sure that Anko found out about it from a taunt, and then manipulated her emotions with your double-talk until she _had _to chase me down and find out if it was true.

You know quite well that I gave her the cursed seal of heaven to protect her, to give her a power to fall back upon if she was outmatched from her own memories. Memories of me that you soon sealed off! You made it so that your own flesh and blood was ostracized from the village just because you couldn't tolerate someone knowing the truth!" Sarutobi's head fell, but when it came up again there was steel in his eyes.

"It was for the good of the village that I have done those things. It is the same reason that I am now forced to kill you! **Kuchyoise: Enma!**" The mighty monkey king soon appeared.

"Well if we're bringing out the summons, let's play properly." Orochimaru said, a musical mocking tone to his voice. "**Kuchyoise: Edo Tensei!**"

Two coffins rose from the ground, and from them came the first and second Hokage. A third arrived, but Sarutobi managed to stop that one. He knew that while the first and second would not fight to their fullest against him because Orochimaru was against Konoha, the Fourth Fire Shadow Namikaze Minato was a different story. If he found out what Sarutobi had done to his son the man would take great pride in destroying Sarutobi after he destroyed all that the man held dear. Minato had become a legend for destroying those that threatened what he loved, and Konoha was never truly loved.

It was the ideal that the Fourth had loved, and had vowed to return Konoha to the way it should be. Now, Minato would destroy it in a heartbeat.

Despite that, he looked on in fear as the First's face grew enraged at what Sarutobi had done to a Jinchurikki, especially as the man's wife used to be one.

~Break~

Shukaku looked on in pure, undiluted terror as the smoke cleared and an evil chakra engulfed his senses. Crimson filled the air, an aura of malice choking him even as the maddening laughter finally stopped. He closed his eyes, taking several deep breaths before he opened them and seeing a visage straight from his nightmares.

Lush crimson fur was the first thing one would see if they looked straight at this beast, ignoring the pure terror its very existence created. Soft and warm, that fur brought on the impression of a cute little fox kit, and not the beast that it was.

Nine bloody tails swayed behind its massive for, easily as tall as the Hokage monument in the distance. The mighty creature was standing on all four paws, even though its upper torso was more humanlike than beast, even having opposable thumbs on its paws.

Pure red eyes glared at the Ichibi from its head, teeth spread in a massive grin as it talked to the small blond crouched on its head.

"I was wondering if you were going to bring me out Naruto. After all you would easily be able to kill this form of my brethren." It stated; the words oddly light and in an amused tone, incredibly odd when compared to evil its presence emitted. The blond answered the great beast, leaping to perch on its muzzle and greeting it with a nod of his head, his voice small and soft when compared the Kyuubi's.

"Kyuubi. I am well aware that I could kill Gaara, but I would rather keep Akatsuki from getting an easy chance at the Ichibi. After all, the beast is the weakest of you, not to mention insane. I could probably kill Gaara with the aid of the hawks, despite the fact that they are not mean for combat, but that would result in the Ichibi being captured by my enemies in just a year's time. This way we have a Jinchurikki with the same powers who will become sane soon…hopefully."

The Kyuubi only just held itself back from shaking its head. The great beast was somewhat irritated with its vessel. Despite his strength the practice of downplaying it had become so ingrained that Naruto continued to do so without even recognizing it. They both knew that Naruto would win this fight by himself, but had chosen to summon Kyuubi to end it faster, and without the wasted chakra. With the Kyuubi and Naruto's agreement the boy used up none of his own chakra summoning Kyuubi.

The grin on Kyuubi's face only widened as it remembered the first time it properly met its vessel.

~Flashback~

Naruto was meditating, attempting to master the bestial chakra raging through his body. He had gotten truly angry today, and nearly lost control of the Kyuubi as the chakra of the beast was called in response to his anger. It was actually surprising to his trainer, Danzo that the boy had actually gotten angry, but he admitted that the reason was worth getting angry over.

After all, when a supposed ally stabs you in the kidney people tend to get upset. Naruto had killed his attacker.

After Naruto had successfully released the chakra to nature he was brought to a sewer. Naturally, he was incredibly confused, and started looking for a way out. Heading down the only tunnel available, he eventually came to a large cage with a paper tag on it.

'_This must be the seal, but why is my mind a sewer? I'm not that screwed up am I?' _were his thoughts, not even really caring about the noises in front of him, or the ominous voice that boomed through the area.

"So, my jailor has decided to visit me. What do you want?" Naruto was instantly confused at the voice, staring a pair of crimson eyes as they examined him.

The voice of the great beast seemed, for lack of a better word, bored. He ignored the Kyuubi's question for the moment, instead asking why it was bored. A dull chuckle resounded through the air, mirthless and lonely.

"I've been sealed away for the better part of a hundred years boy. You are the first human I have seen since I attacked Konoha and the first intelligent creature I have spoken to since years before I was sealed away. What did you think I would be, ecstatic?" Naruto nodded in realization, before having a rather nasty thought. Well, nasty for his enemies.

"If you are so bored, why not make a deal with me?" The eyes examined him, before what could only be described as a shrug lifted them slightly. "Speak." The beast said, mildly curious. Anything would be better than staring at a blank wall all the time.

Naruto didn't at first, instead examining the seal before nodding again, as if having confirmed something.

"You want something to do, and I have a summoning contract that is useless for big battles. That might get me killed someday. So, you and I create a summoning contract for you, as a personal summon of sorts, and I use your chakra to bring you out on the battlefield and you can kill any and all who stand in your way. Along with that, I am capable of changing this seal a little to make it so that you share my senses. Do we have an accord?"

The Kyuubi looked at Naruto for several minutes, wondering if it was worth it. The last person to even speak to him was the Sage of Six Paths, and that was on the man's deathbed. Kyuubi supposed it would be worth it.

What everybody knew but nobody really cared about was that repeatedly sealing an intelligent being away had terrible consequences. Whereas the other Biju had at least been contacted so their various vessels could use the great power they had, Kyuubi had not been. So the various trauma of having its soul and body repeatedly sealed, along with the far greater one of having its soul ripped out by the shinigami, had resulted in a beast that would give nearly anything for companionship.

Sometimes Kyuubi cursed the Sage for how human-like he had made the minds of the Biju.

Kyuubi agreed, and Naruto left, but not before telling Kyuubi that he would see it again soon. In the boys own words it was for a good reason.

"After all, if you are going to be my partner on the field than I need to get to know you as well as I know myself if we are to be fully effective."

It had given the Kyuubi a little hope, and the Biju soon grew to like Naruto as the boy kept his word and talked to the Kyuubi, eventually even trusting the great beast. Naruto actually became closer to Kyuubi than he was to anyone else.

~End Flashback~

Kyuubi had become what it once was thanks to Naruto, a powerful force that was as cheerful as it was deadly. While Kyuubi could be serious, and always was in a fight, it much preferred bombarding its vessel with mental imagery and suggestions for pranks, hoping that Naruto would finally accept either getting laid or commit a prank. It was rather odd how the boy could change people's life for the better both without trying and without caring.

Unfortunately for Kyuubi the pleasant memories of talks were rudely interrupted by Shukaku finally working up the nerve to attack the Kyuubi. Of course, the insane screaming of "**Futon: Renkudan! **(Drilling air bullets) was noticed immediately and the three massive bursts of air were harmlessly knocked aside by one of Kyuubi's tails. Naruto returned to Kyuubi's head as the beast taunted Shukaku.

"Poor little Ichi-chan, unable to even use a wind technique right. Maybe you should give control back to the pathetic little ningen on your head so we can have a proper fight!" Shukaku was enraged, and used his ultimate technique, targeting Konoha. He knew it would have no affect on the far stronger beast.

"**Ichi: Bijudama! **(One: tailed beast ball)" While Shukaku charged it Kyuubi talked with its vessel.

"Can we just let it hit the village? Please? They deserve it! I can make a very convincing failed attempt to stop it!" A quiet and calm "No." was its answer, Naruto having grown used to his Biju's antics. "Fine."

The massive burst of chakra was let loose with an explosion that shook the surrounding landscape, and the dust cleared to show one of the Kyuubi's tails where the attack had been sent at, not even scratched and there was no evidence that the ball had even been fired.

The vulpine grin on the Kyuubi's face never wavered, even when Shukaku finally noticed that Naruto was no longer on the beasts head. Shukaku had no time to think anymore, as all of a sudden its host woke up, too fast for Shukaku to even scream denials. The sand creature collapsed as the nine-tailed fox poofed away, its task completed, but far too short for the beasts preferences.


	20. Chapter 20

Naruto looked on as the Ichibi's Jinchurriki was carried away by his siblings, the three talking quietly, as if afraid of drawing his attention to them. It was a little ridiculous in his mind, as he had made it quite clear that he would allow the group to escape. He took a deep breath, enjoying the quiet for a moment. Kyuubi was always silent for a few hours after it was summoned a rarity these days. Something played at the edge of his senses, a little warning. Naruto's battle mode reengaged at that.

It was small, a little flash of scent here, and a bit of color outside of the environment there, more than enough for Naruto to know he was being stalked by someone. Chakra flowed unconsciously to his ears as he scanned the area, and he heard the obvious sound of a blade being drawn. Then there was a second blade, from a different area.

'_Two people, hoping for an easy kill. Something tells me this is going to be a problem.'_ The moment the blades were out the pair moved, at incredible speed, the one from behind nicking Naruto's cheek as he dodged and the one from the side scratching the inside of his arm. He hissed in slight pain as a fiery pain lanced up his arm, but he ignored it, focusing on getting away, drawing his ninjato in his right, uninjured hand to hold off any further movements.

His eyes scanned his opponents, two men, exactly the same, with only a small bit of clothing difference between them. Black pants and grey shirts, one with a grey collar and the other with a white collar. Naruto figured it was the white collar he had spotted.

His eyes scanned their faces, and other than the perfect matches he saw nothing to distinguish them apart from a slashed Iwa forehead protector. Naruto recognized them from the bingo book easily, as they were the only set of twins there.

"The Bloody Duo of Iwa." '_Rather unimaginative names these bingo books come up with.'_ "What do two high A-Rank ninja want with me?" A pair of bloodthirsty grins spread across their faces, and they spoke in an odd unison.

"You are a potential threat to Iwa. You will die soon, the poison should already be spreading through your veins. Even if it doesn't, we are high A-Ranks individually, and mid S-Rank together. You have no hope to survive this." They said, smiling every word.

Naruto smirked internally, the burning in his arm already diminishing as the Kyuubi's chakra did its job and healed him both light injuries already closed. The pair paid no attention to that as they charged him, expecting an easy win as the poison destroyed Naruto's nerves. They were disappointed as Naruto's ninjato clashed with their blades.

"The poison should be working by now…he must be immune. Oh well, we will end him brother." The pair went on the attack, showing flawless teamwork as one drove Naruto's ninjato high and the other came in with a low sweep, stopped only by Naruto catching the man's blade under his foot in a show of speed, catching the others foot in his face, sending him flying.

He flipped in midair, blocking another blade and barely dodging the second, the katana nicking his Haori. He hissed in a breath before he was kicked into the ground, hard. As if that wasn't enough one of the pair started hand seals, but Naruto interrupted it with a senbon into his finger, interrupting the change.

Naruto rose from the dust, looking for all the world like an awoken demon. He glared at the two while considering his situation. '_I can use six Soru in a burst now, or twenty spread out with a minute atwixt them. I can use thirty Geppo regardless as to what happens before it damages my ankles. I have two powerful, speedy, and experienced ninja who are out for my head, with no potential backup around. I am going to need every bit of skill I've gained.'_ He thought morosely. As if it wasn't enough to defeat a biju, a feat which would leave many ninja unable to do anything else!

The two charged again, katana leading the way as Naruto weaved around them with a grace that not even the finest dancers could replicate. One katana nearly sliced off some of his hair while the other nearly stabbed his arm. His focus on the katanas, Naruto missed the two fists that slammed into his stomach, sending him flying into the air. He kept himself from being attacked with Senbon, but the other ninja slammed his foot on the ground as spikes rose up.

"**Doton: Iwa Toge Fushido no Jutsu!** (Rock thorn bed jutsu)" Small and sharp spikes rose up for twenty-five feet around the user, the one with the white collar, and Naruto was headed right for a large group of them. The man didn't give Naruto the opportunity to escape however, as he continued on with the next part of the jutsu, even as his brother used his own.

"**Doton: Iwa Toge Chakushu no Jutsu!** (Rock thorn launch)" "**Doton: Hell Zone Rock Shard!"** At the same time the spikes launched up at a hundred miles an hour straight towards Naruto, the grey-collared brothers jutsu raised small rock shards that rocketed towards Naruto, the two jutsu coming at him from below, in front, and above. Naruto nicked his thumb on a canine, pressing his hand against the air.

"**Kuchyoise no Jutsu: Rejection"** Takami the hawk appeared, now large enough for Naruto to ride on his back, wings drawn into his side before flinging them out with a screech into their regular flight position.

Waves of high speed wind stopped the projectiles in their tracks, before sending them straight back at the users at even higher speed. As if that wasn't enough Naruto and Takami sent a new jutsu at them.

"**Futon: Daitoppa! (**Great Breakthrough)" "**Katon: ****Kasai Sanshuhouuo no Jutsu )**Fire Release • Fire Salamander)" A massive salamander made of crimson flames roared as it absorbed the blast of wind from the hawk, scuttling towards the area where the brothers were frantically building up their most powerful defensive jutsu.

"**Doton: Iwa no Doomu! (**Earth Dome) **Doton: Sekkai Bunshin: Shinogeru Inshou! **(Stone Clone: Protective Seal)"

Before the attack had even come close to the duo or the defenses had been formed Naruto had already left his position, leaping off Takami as the bird dispelled with a poof of smoke, reaching a great height with the help of Geppo (Moon walk). He took ten Senbon in each hand, spreading it around him as he began his combo.

"**Katon: Go! **(Five) **Kage Senbon no Jutsu! **(Shadow Senbon)**" **He looked down at the dome. "Time to end this. **Ninpo: Hells thunderstorm!"** Fifty-two seals in a few brief seconds as the thousands of flaming Senbon formed a crimson vortex around the blond. He finished off with a ram seal, holding it in place as the Senbon multiplied further, forming a fiery tornado as it blasted downwards at the swiftly reforming remains of the dome. The now countless Senbon blew through the defenses, piercing the twins hundreds of times in a second, before Naruto used the final stage of the technique.

"**Ninpo: Shatter.**" Each and every Senbon shattered into hundreds of incredibly sharp pieces, raining down on the entire battlefield and leaving hundreds of thousands of little holes in every surface, and the bodies of the two ninja were torn to unseeable shreds.

Naruto landed on the ground, and a pair of hands grabbed his shoulders as a katana stabbed his stomach. "!" He fell, blood pouring from his gut as the two injured shinobi stood over him.

"This one was too close brother. If we hadn't of buried ourselves deep underground and used clones to replace ourselves we would have died. As it was those damn pieces of fire have left us in no fit shape to fight anymore. Hell, I can't use my left arm!"

"Calm yourself brother. He is dying, and we can easily find a medical ninja to heal us." The two walked away, which turned out to be a mistake. Ominous chakra surged through the area once again as a shroud of crimson chakra engulfed Naruto. The two turned around slowly, afraid of what they would see.

Crimson eyes glared from beneath bloody bangs.

~Break~

The invasion was practically finished, with Orochimaru's and Suna's forces in full retreat. The cost of this victory was quite great however, as the third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, had fallen in battle. Even now the masses wept, mourning the loss of the beloved leader, grandfather figure to so many shinobi. In the shadows of the procession, Danzo plotted. The village would suffer from this, and Danzo was needed to ensure the foolish Daimyo did not ruin the village by appointing a terrible Godaime.

His one good eye closed in a moment of grief for his former friend, and then it opened again. The Root members nearby took a sharp breath as they recognized the look the elderly man had.

The True War Hawk was back.

~Break~

"What are you?" It was a simple question, but one with far too many answers to be listed. The crimson eyed blond looked at the injured twins as he answered.

"I'm complicated. **Katon: Karyuu Endan! **(Fire Dragon Napalm)" Naruto blew a massive stream of bloody flames, the fire moving so fast it nearly carved through the pair, having only just gotten out of the way in time. The two began counter jutsu, both having mastered one-handed seals a long time ago.

"**Doton: Doryuudan no Jutsu! **(Earth Dragon Blast)" Two mudstone dragon heads rose from the earth, instantly shooting massive cannonballs at Naruto. Each one struck home as a raven flew from the area. A dark and demonic voice let them know that Naruto was not dead.

"**Doton: Ikiumeru no Jutsu!** (Alive Burial)" The white collared twin, the one with the ruined arm, was swallowed into the earth, the chakra embedded into it ensuring that only the death of the caster of the jutsu would free the twin. The other twin watched in horror, before glaring at the now revealed Naruto.

"I will end you! **Doton: Retsudo Tenshou! **(Splitting earth force)" He slammed his hands on the ground and a massive rift in the earth raced towards Naruto, opening up an abyss underneath the blond. As a bolder slowly fell with Naruto standing on it the two glared at each other, both sides knowing the battle was far from over.

The last member of the Bloody Twins whirled around, his Katana barely catching Naruto's ninjato. Naruto kept up the assault, his swift strikes proving difficult for the ninja to block. All too soon Naruto had scored a point, a long gash on the ninja's thigh to spread more of his blood on the ground. The ninja backflipped back, falling back to his secondary element as the blond was always two steps ahead of his Doton jutsu.

"**Raiton: Denshi no Jutsu! **(Electron)" Two crackling yellow spheres appeared, one in each of the shinobi's hands. They were flung at Naruto, the orbs letting loose bolts of lightning at anything that it came near, and would focus on metal. That technique was nothing more than a distraction for a stronger one however.

"**Raiton: Raikou Kousen no Jutsu!** (Lightning beam technique)" A massive beam of pure electricity shot from the ninja's hands, headed straight for Naruto. A wicked grin grew on the ninja's face. It was over, and he would be able to rescue his brother.

"**Katon: Kasai Uzu Nami no Jutsu! **(Fire Spiral Wave)" Naruto slammed his hands into the ground, before swinging them in the direction of the last twin. A massive wave of blue fire sprang from his hands as the motion was completed, the pure heat melting the earth around them. The two lightning balls as well as the beam met the technique head on, but the fire would not be denied.

The man's eyes widened in fear and regret as he took one final look at where his brother lay entombed before being destroyed, not even the ash remained.

A panting Naruto was all that remained on the field, amongst the newly formed lava and landscape devastation. "Burn in the fires of hell." He spat, not happy at all about the fight. '_I let my guard down! And nearly lost because of it. I need more training. Wait a minute…I was dominating that fight until I let my guard down. Still, that cannot happen again.'_

AN: Okay, thanks VynosNeptune, as his list of custom elemental Ninjutsu was used in both this chapter and the last, and will likely be used in other chapters as well.

Short chapter as this bit was bugging me. Can somebody who is talented at naming things message me or something? As you can probably tell from "The Bloody Duo of Iwa", I am not the most creative person for naming things. I will need some help with that in the future.


	21. Chapter 21

"So, wait, you want me to do what?" Jiraiya sighed, knowing that this would not turn out well.

"I want you to come with me to find Senju Tsunade, my other teammate who is supposed to become the Godaime Hokage." Naruto stared at him incredulously.

"Tsunade, the Legendary Sucker, known worldwide for her compulsive gambling and shirking of debts, is supposed to become our Fifth Hokage? And you want me to help you find this woman? No, thank you though. My time will be much better spent training." The Gama Sannin sighed again, knowing that the boy was right. Tsunade was not cut out about to be Hokage.

"I don't particularly want her to be the Hokage either, but it was her or you, and I think we both would rather have her." Naruto's eyes snapped up to his, the Kyuubi's chakra leaking out as he snarled out a horribly mangled word. "What?" Jiraiya had a bit of a smirk on his face as he told his godson just what happened during the meeting with the Daimyo.

~Break~

There was one particular affliction that was affecting four people at once, this being a painfully throbbing migraine. This was caused by a large amount of shouting across a small room in the Hokage tower. The death of the former Fire Shadow, Sarutobi, during the death of the invasion had left a power vacuum in the council of the village, and there had been a lot of political debate ever since.

The thirds body had not even had time to cool before his longtime rival and former friend, Shimura Danzo, had stepped in to fill his shoes by being a replacement Kage, organizing the recovery effort at the same time as he kept the war in the shadows from being taken to Konoha's back yard. After a week Danzo had stepped down, focusing on the shadows, resurfacing only now another week later to attend the meeting to elect a new Hokage. He was one of the ones suffering from the migraine.

Two others were Jiraiya and Kakashi, both possibilities for the position as the Kage. Kakashi had refused because of his genin team and the fact that he was needed to ensure the village would remain strong, as he would be taking a large amount of solo high ranked missions to take up the slack of the dead ninja. Jiraiya's excuse was rather flimsy in comparison, being that he was not cut out for the job. The only reason he wasn't being screamed at was because of his reputation as a super pervert.

The last person with a throbbing migraine was the Daimyo himself, and it was quite likely that his was the worst. The man had had a terrible two weeks, starting off with the Chunin exams. It had been going so well at first, and he had been looking forward to the blond fight again, but the invasion stopped it. He was never sent to sleep, having received enough training to dispel genjutsu to ensure he was never influenced by them, and was awake to watch as the same blond took out nearly a full division of attacking ninja, stopping the likely death of many a noble.

The man had been incredibly impressed, and had been even more so when he finally found out just why the boy was so familiar. Uzumaki Naruto, the Kyuubi Jinchurriki, and apparently in full control of the Kyuubi from where the beast rose to the defense of the village.

That little memory was enough to give the Daimyo an idea, and called for quiet amidst the chaos.

"Alright, if neither Jiraiya nor Kakashi wish to become the Hokage we must choose another powerful ninja to be Sarutobi's successor. Now, Danzo, you do not wish to become the Kage. Explain." The aged shinobi bowed lightly, strolling out in front of the Daimyo while looking all around him.

"As you can probably tell, I am far past my crime. In fact I am as old as Sarutobi was, and I am in much worse shape." He pointed to his bandaged eye and ruined arm. "I have lost both one eye and one arm in the service of Konoha, and while I am still quite skilled, thanks to what I was forced to do during the Kyuubi attack I will not be able to fight with my perfected style ever again."

Many people remembered that. To this day Danzo remained the only man to ever survive stopping a full-powered Imari from the Kyuubi, despite using a powerful suicide jutsu that brought down the untamable fury of a hurricane to do so. Unfortunately, the clashing chakra had permanently ruined the man's chakra control and tenketsu, along with finishing the loss of his arm.

"So while I am still a skilled shinobi, there are those out there who can beat me. As I am unaware how many years I have left, it would be better if I remained as an advisor to the next Hokage, to ensure that they can handle running the village." The Daimyo nodded, that would work with his idea.

"And you have previously shot down Senju Tsunade, despite the outcry in her favor. Why?" Danzo sighed, hating the fact that the last Senju was wasting away.

"Tsunade is without doubt one of the greatest medical ninja in existence, and she is also still one of the strongest ninja under Konoha's banners. However, she is a compulsive drinker and gambler, and if it wasn't for the fact that she locked away the Senju fortune before she left she would have easily blown all of that money. She has allowed herself to grow rusty, and I can name at least one person at jonin level that could easily defeat her. She is lazy and ill-tempered, and if she takes the reigns of the village she will drive us into failure, drinking all the way."

That shut up most of the support for Tsunade, and the Fire Daimyo nodded in conformation to himself. Now to find out more about his choice.

"Alright Danzo, you have made your point. Now I wish to know everything about Uzumaki Naruto, the Kyuubi Jinchurriki. He saved the village from the unleashed Ichibi, and apparently can control the Kyuubi. I've also heard that you have taken him as your apprentice Jiraiya." Both Jiraiya and Kakashi started sweating, as did Danzo internally, although he remained calm and collected on the surface.

"Why do you wish to know about him?" Jiraiya asked, knowing the Daimyo would answer. The man loved to wax on about his reasoning for the littlest things. Danzo on the other hand already had a very good guess as to what the Daimyo wanted, and was finding himself agreeing with him. If Naruto became the Hokage Danzo would be able to educate the boy on how to take care of the village, and the boy would be able to reinstate Root. Yes, it would be good for the village and for Danzo if Naruto became Hokage.

"He saved the village, and is apparently very powerful. After all he took out an entire division of soldiers with one jutsu." Jiraiya was still confused, both at the lack of a proper reason and the fact that the Daimyo didn't take the time to properly explain anything. The toad sage was cut off from asking anything else by Danzo speaking up.

"Uzumaki Naruto is a talented young ninja with a great deal of potential. He has access to jutsu from all five elements and has mastered three of them. During the second task of the chunin exam he fought on par with Orochimaru of the Sannin, and forced him to retreat. Following that he spent one month under the tutelage of Jiraiya, gaining a great deal of experience in fighting powerful opponents.

During the invasion he fought the Ichibi Jinchurriki, along with the Bloody Duo of Iwa." There were some mutters and gasps at that, as the pair was well known. "I can honestly say that he is stronger than Kakashi, and that was before the month of intense training. I do not know his current level, but Jiraiya does." Said Sannin glared at Danzo for a moment, before giving into the Daimyo's prompting.

"Naruto can usually match me when I am going all out and fight me to a draw on his own power. I can catch him off guard in a ninjutsu fight, but that is only because it is my specialty. When he draws upon the full might of the Kyuubi I have yet to win against him." That caused the entire group to fall silent, the pure shock of that causing most of the people's minds to shut down for a moment.

Defeat Jiraiya? The strongest of the three Sannin and well known to be on a level above even most S-rank Shinobi, was consistently defeated by a child? The Daimyo smiled smugly to himself, and made his play. "Well, if he can beat you, our strongest shinobi, then he is our strongest. By that argument, he should become the Godaime Hokage. After all, with Danzo and Jiraiya to tutor him until he can manage on his own the village will be in good hands."

The man leaned back in his chair, satisfied with his decision. The shock from that lasted a very short time however, and soon the civilians were screaming in outrage. One of particular notice was a pink haired merchant woman, the head of the civilian council, and the mother of Sakura.

"The Haruno merchant clan will leave Konoha if that Demon becomes Hokage!" She screamed, spittle flying from her mouth and causing everyone in the room to wince. Despite that, every other civilian council member soon stood behind her, adding their votes to hers. The message was clear. Every civilian would leave Konoha for the other shinobi villages if Naruto became Kage.

The pure hatred here concerned the Daimyo. The attack happened twelve years ago didn't it? Shouldn't they have gotten over themselves by now?

After a long period of argument between those who wanted what was best for the village and those who hated Naruto a compromise was reached.

This compromise was Tsunade. She would return to be Hokage, or Naruto would become the Kage and be given full dictator power over Konoha to keep the civilians from leaving. Even when she returned she would begin training her successor, which _would _be Naruto, and he would be taught to manage the village. The Daimyo dared each and every civilian to go against his edict.

~Break~

Jiraiya waited for the explosion which was to come, and he was not disappointed.

"So let me get this straight. Because of the fact that I followed my orders and stopped a Biju I have been forced into consideration for Hokage, despite the fact that I would quite eagerly let this place burn to the ground and then dance in the ashes." Jiraiya winced at the confirmation of his fears, even as he was afraid that the pure _acid_ dripping from Naruto's words would have no affect in real life.

"Yes." He said, wincing even as he did so. The Kyuubi enhanced glare and killing intent had him fearing for his life. He hadn't been lying in the council chambers. Naruto could kill him.

"You have no idea just how tempting it just became to unleash the Kyuubi, or join some other village." Jiraiya started to speak again, but was stopped by Naruto's raised palm.

"Have I been specifically ordered on this mission?" Jiraiya nodded. "Then be sure to remind me to let Tsunade know just what I think of her so I can provoke her into a fight." Jiraiya tilted his head curiosity in his eyes. The answer Naruto gave to his unasked question chilled him to the bone.

"So I can kill her and be labeled a Missing Nin." Jiraiya's eyes widened in horror, but he kept calm and asked Naruto "Is that really what you want?" His voice was sad, having hoped that Naruto was recovering. The crimson eyes flecked with gold met his.

"Every bit as much as I want the heads of those who hurt me." In other words he wanted it a great deal, but was willing to wait to get them.

"Do you truly hate Konoha so much? It was the people who did that to you; you could easily place on a mask and vanish from the public's view. You don't have to deal with them ever again." Naruto looked at his hand, turning it palm up and showing off a small flame.

"Did you know that I have had my entire skin removed three times?" Jiraiya nearly vomited at that picture, though he just managed to keep his composure.

"The first time was when a certain member of the torture and interrogation division decided it would be _fun_ to skin me alive. Other than immense pain all that I remember is the smell of dango and sake before chakra engulfed me, and when I regained consciousness I was alone in the woods, my skin on my body as if it had never been carved off." The detachment in his voice was one of the things that really got to Jiraiya; Naruto was talking as if this terrible thing had happened to someone else, someone that didn't matter.

"The second time was when a group of ANBU carved it all off with elemental blades, along with removing my right hand. Once again, chakra engulfed me and I woke up far away and whole again. Now I know that it was the Kyuubi's chakra called to preserve the life of its vessel, but then I was horrified. It took seven tails of the Kyuubi's chakra to restore me that time." Somehow Jiraiya found that this was worse than the first time. He waited in suspenseful horror as the boy continued.

"Do you know how long the human body can survive without skin?" Mute with horror and sadness Jiraiya shook his head.

"I found out the hard way. I lasted a month after a group of ANBU carved off every single piece of my skin, both hands, and both feet." This time Jiraiya did vomit. Naruto waited for him to recover before finishing his gruesome tale.

"This time it took all nine tails of the Kyuubi's chakra to heal me, in fact even that wasn't enough. The fourth, my father, sealed away half of the Kyuubi's chakra when he sealed it, taking the other half with him into the stomach of the Shinigami. I now have all the force of the Kyuubi inside my seal." Jiraiya couldn't help it; he vomited again, from lingering horror and a new surge of a different kind.

"Would you like to know what the ANBU members did with my skinless body, after a full month of being immersed in salt thrice daily?" Jiraiya didn't; he really didn't, but he said yes anyways, voice weak with fear and from his previous vomiting.

"They raped me, in every manner possible, before slicing off the last limb of my body which they had now finished using and tossed me into a bears den." Naruto looked up at Jiraiya's eyes for the first time since his explanation began, seeing the horror and disgust in them. A mirthless chuckle filled the air, swiftly becoming insane as Naruto's eyes morphed into those of a broken man.

"It took everything the Kyuubi had to fix me, and it knocked the beast out until a few days after I became a genin. Even then neither of us knows if I will ever be able to have children." Crimson chakra bubbled up around Naruto, the pure force behind the rage of both tenant and host causing the earth itself to crack.

"So when you ask me if I hate Konoha my answer is this. Yes, with all my being." As quickly as it appeared the chakra vanished, Naruto's eyes becoming their usual icy cerulean.

"So long as I am a Konoha ninja I will not actively seek to destroy Konoha, but I cannot say that I will do anything to protect it either. However, if I am banished from Konoha, or if those in power betray me…" A bitter and vengeful smile spread across his face, fire flying from his fingertips as he spread them as a pair of crimson wings extended behind him.

"**I will kill them all."**

~Break~

Jiraiya walked along with his godson, the previous day's revelations never far from his mind. Naruto's guard was up and ready, but Jiraiya could tell no difference from his usual demeanor in the village, saddening Jiraiya yet again. He hoped his former sensei burned in hell for what he had done, and because Orochimaru had been the one to kill him, Jiraiya decided to let the man escape the next time they fought.

Naruto's eyes were closed, and when Jiraiya had asked what he was doing Naruto had replied with "hawk training." It confused the older man a great deal, and he found himself wondering just what it was for. Naruto had done the same thing several times over the course of the month, and had been able to avoid whatever Jiraiya sent at him while doing so. However Naruto had always cursed angrily after he had finished doing whatever he seemed to be doing, saying that he couldn't master it.

They were approaching a new town, and Naruto opened his eyes, looking towards Jiraiya to find out what they were going to do. Jiraiya saw his informant acting like she was interested in him, one of the few informants that didn't follow his usual spy network style, and pulled on a perverted grin.

"Naruto, go wait in the hotel, train if you want to. I have something I need to do." Naruto looked where he did, snorted lightly, and nodded, checking into the agreed upon hotel.

Within three minutes in her presence Jiraiya knew she was in a genjutsu, but that didn't stop him from enjoying the blowjob she was giving him. It would probably be considered wrong of him, but he didn't care. He hadn't gotten off in years; the last time had been before his love had fallen. His mind replaced the woman with his beloved, and he settled in to enjoy it. He would stop at that, but he needed this before he got to Tsunade. He would find the one who set up this little venture later. Jiraiya knew that they would target Naruto, and he wanted the boy a chance to work off his anger.

~Break~

**Knock Knock-** Naruto looked at the door, wondering just who in the world would knock on his door less then five minutes after he got in the room. He had only just set the tea on for Kami's sake! Sometimes he cursed the only quirk that Danzo had successfully passed onto him, the love of tea. He had like tea before, but since he took it to a quirk level he had found that he tended to be ticked off if someone interrupted him while he was preparing or drinking it.

He opened the door, spotting two faces that made up the nightmares of many a ninja. '_Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame, two members of Akatsuki. I thought that their plan was nowhere near ready for completion. This is not good. I doubt I can handle both of them at once.'_ He decided to play ignorance, as it would get one of them to underestimate him. Itachi was to smart for that.

"Hello, can I help you?" He asked. The fish like Kisame grinned at him before sarcastically stating "Yes, you can. We need something from you boy," the grin turned feral, "and we're not leaving till we get it." Naruto raised an eyebrow, but decided to continue his little ignorance play.

"Well, do come in, I have just made a pot of tea. We can discuss what you want from me while we do so." _'Just don't blame me if your tea is poisoned.'_ Kisame gaped at him for a moment, but Itachi stopped him from talking with a look. "Certainly." The Uchiha stated in an emotionless tone. The two walked in, and Naruto turned his back on them to bring about the attack he knew was coming.

Kisame's massive blade slashed through Naruto, cutting his legs away from his torso. He bent down and grabbed Naruto's torso, using a swift jutsu to stop all bleeding. With Kisame's massive amount of chakra that jutsu would last five days.

"Well, come on Itachi, let's go, we've done what we need to do." He turned to his partner, who was uncharacteristically face palming before walking out. Kisame looked puzzled for a moment before following Itachi.

Outside of Kisame's little world Naruto and Itachi were matched, blade for blade in the middle of the room. Itachi sighed as he watched his partner walk out, before activating his Sharingan and staring at the golden eyes of Naruto, attempting to place the boy in his own genjutsu.

He swung his blade at the boy, Naruto dodging it and striking Itachi in the gut in a brief moment. Itachi grimaced as he stumbled backwards, his Sharingan working overtime as he dodged and blocked a flurry of strikes from Naruto. As if that wasn't enough something sliced at him from behind, only to see his teammate!

"You will not get the boy Jiraiya. Itachi is already leaving with him, and soon I will kill you." Itachi looked at his teammate like he was a retard, taking a moment to reevaluate the Kyuubi Jinchurikki as well. If he could cast that convincing of a genjutsu then Itachi's own genjutsu would be useless. The raven haired Uchiha had no chance to rid his partner of the genjutsu before two things happened.

The first was Naruto's blade piercing through Kisame's gut; the second was Uchiha Sasuke roaring Itachi's name in an idiotic rage, charging up a chidori and running straight towards the far older Uchiha. Kisame slumped to the ground, clutching his stomach as Itachi stopped his brother's chidori just by grabbing Sasuke's wrist. Itachi was about to tramatize his little brother, again, but Naruto had taken the opportunity with Kisame out of it and Itachi distracted.

Itachi gasped in pain as his blood splattered the floor, Sasuke glaring at the blade sticking out of his brother's chest. It withdrew, but Naruto could not finish the kill as a blade nearly took his head. Itachi dropped Sasuke, knocking him out with a light tap to the temple as Kisame took his place beside his partner, both bleeding from their injuries. The two advanced on the blond, but stopped, feeling Jiraiya's chakra coming towards them.

Kisame snarled at Naruto. "We'll get you next time." Was all he said before they shunshinned away.


	22. Chapter 22

Naruto was in deep discussion with the Kyuubi as he and Jiraiya approached Tanazuka Gai, the city of gambling where Tsunade was located. The great beast wanted some answers from its jailor, because several things it "knew" from the last time it had interacted with shinobi longer than to kill them or be sealed wasn't adding up.

"Why did you lie to Jiraiya Naruto? You know as well as I do that you would die from being skinned alive, and if you did lose all your limbs I wouldn't be able to regenerate them. An arm or hand at once, maybe, but all four limbs plus skin? You would have died from the amount of my chakra required to heal that." A light, mental smirk was directed towards the Kyuubi as Naruto explained his terrible lie.

"I am well aware of that, along with the fact that the closest thing to me being skinned alive was when that mob tattooed the word the word demon on my back with blood and alcohol. You know of my intention to leave Konoha and join another village correct?"

"Of course I do, it's the only thing that keeps you going. Your two goals of survival and ditching the village at the earliest opportunity are well known to me, even if you only gave one of them to your godfather."

Naruto nodded. "Well, I will never get a better time then this. From what the hawk scouts I sent out have said Orochimaru is in the village ahead, so it will be a good chance to fake my death and flee to another village. However, I didn't know that at the time in Konoha, so I had to improvise. Seeing as I don't particularly hate Konoha, but neither do I like it, I am adopting a "live and let live" policy.

This is one of the rare moments in a village where both the light and the shadow are both busy, far to busy to pursue one ninja, no matter how important. I told Jiraiya those lies to cripple him with guilt so that when I take the opportunity to make my escape he will not chase me. It would be quite a problem if a man of Jiraiya's skill was chasing me down after I have finally gotten away from the village.

This is the prime chance for me, as it is the first time I have gotten out of the village with only one guard. We were followed by ANBU during the wave mission, and I was always surrounded by Root when I was working with Danzo. The man, while he cares for me, has never truly trusted me. He has experienced far too many betrayals for him not to expect me to do so. In fact I'm pretty sure that if this wasn't right after an invasion I would have Root members tailing me."

The Kyuubi understood now. While it liked to tease its vessel with images from passing females in hopes of attracting Naruto to someone, the Kyuubi itself had a very poor understanding of human's motivations. It had given up trying to understand them.

"Okay, but what about the Uchiha and the fish-man? You stabbed one through the lung and the other right through his stomach. People, shinobi or otherwise should _not_ be getting up from that! Hell the only reason you got up after those irritating twins stabbed you was because you consciously channeled my chakra to the wound, healing it not long after it was inflicted."

"Ahhh, that is the result of a rather unique little jutsu. It's actually the one Kisame used in the genjutsu, one that stops any bleeding no matter how serious so long as two conditions are met. You feed a continuous amount of chakra to it and you don't get injured again.

This jutsu is called **Ninpo: Freeze, **for the fact that it seems to freeze the wound. While one would think that this jutsu would be much wider spread with how useful it is, it is a terrible double-edged jutsu.

For starters the pain you feel is amplified for as long as you have the jutsu up. For an injury like the ones I gave the two of them it must have hurt something fierce. So instead of numbing your pain, you cannot fight effectively while using this jutsu. Sure, all shinobi worth their forehead protector can stop themselves from feeling pain if they have a few moments to concentrate, but this jutsu prevents that.

Second is the effect after you stop using the jutsu. Pray that you are in the hands of a skilled medical Ninja, because this jutsu induces temporary hemophilia, a condition where your blood cannot clot properly and results in the loss of a lot of blood even from small injuries. People with that disorder have died from paper cuts, so imagine what happens with a stab wound like that?

The hemophilia lasts only a minute, on the dot actually, but the damage is done, and both Itachi and Kisame will need blood transfusions if that is the jutsu they used. It's possible they used some other way to stop the bleeding though. I do know one thing however. Kisame's injury was healing as they left, which means he has some form of regeneration."

The Kyuubi's confusion cleared up the two returned to discussing strategy until they arrived in Tanuzuka, specifically on how Naruto could fight Orochimaru's Kusanagi without ruining his own blade and spending massive amounts of chakra in the process. Naruto had an idea, more of a hope really, but they were praying it would work.

~Break~

Naruto sighed to himself as Jiraiya finally found Tsunade, screaming her name and generally making a fool of himself as he walked towards her. The icy cold greeting he received did nothing to dissuade him either.

"What are you doing here Jiraiya?"

"What? Can't a man drop by and see one of his old teammates every now and again?" the white-haired man asked. The Senju woman glared at him, poisonous and hateful. Both Naruto and Kyuubi stared at her, coming to several conclusions about her easily and quickly. '_She holds grudges, hates Konoha, and blames Jiraiya for something that most likely wasn't his fault. Why is she becoming Hokage again?'_

"Seems like today is a day for meeting old acquaintance," she muttered to herself before talking to Jiraiya. "Don't give me that bullshit." She snarled as she took a deep drought of Sake, causing Jiraiya to wince. Tsunade had once been as anti-curse as he was, but now look at her.

"You haven't even looked at me since I turned you down after Dan died." Jiraiya sighed, the woman was right. He had always loved Tsunade, but the woman had never even gone on a date with him. What she had done however was take advantage of his desperation for her, and they had slept together three times. The first time after the fight with Hanzo, the second after the death of her little brother, and the third time after the death of Dan. He had asked her to marry him each time, but she had refused. He had given up on trying after the third time.

"Fine." He said; his voice full of remembered pain. "I am here because the elders and the Daimyo, along with the council, have decided that you are to become the Godaime Hokage." Naruto tuned out the two after that, focusing instead on his surroundings. He already knew what the answer was going to be. It wasn't long before he was proved right as Tsunade lost control after a long rant about the failure of the Kages.

"I thought you were better than this Tsunade. To happily curse the village which your grandfather and grand-uncle worked so hard to build, I…"

"Shut-up Jiriaya! You have no right to lecture me you filthy pervert! You talk of my failings and opinions, but what of yours? You failed to save Dan when you gave me your word that you would look out for him. Oh, who's that? He looks like a min-Minato. Have you been getting desperate enough to attempt to take another apprentice, looking for one that looks enough like Minato that you can replace him?" Jiraiya glared at her.

"You go to far Tsunade."

"Not far enough you useless fool. Couldn't save Dan, couldn't' stop Hanzo, couldn't save Orochimaru." Every word she spoke was like a hammer to Jiraiya, who was visibly wincing with every hissed word. Naruto sighed, his attention having been drawn back to the pair. Despite his lie to Jiraiya he did like the man, so he decided to draw Tsunade's attention away from him to give him time to recover.

"Useless? Considering the fact that he is the strongest of the three Sannin along with forming and managing an effective spy network amongst a world of Shinobi, I'd say he is far from useless. What are your achievements in comparision? Greatest med-Nin? You haven't practiced in years, and you have never made any major pushes in the field. One of the Sannin? There are three Sannin, but only two disgraced ones. Orochimaru is one. I'll give you three guesses as to who the other is, and the first don't count."

Tsunade turned her icy glare onto him, but he didn't even flinch. He had faced down her teammates, and they were far stronger than her. She growled out her reply from in between clenched teeth.

"You. Me. Outside. Now." That caused Naruto to raise an eyebrow, before continuing his little mocking session.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know you were a Neanderthal. Me man, you go kitchen, you make man sandwich." The table shattered from Tsunade's grip as Jiraiya choked down a snort and Tsunade's apprentice looked on in horror.

"I will kill you." Naruto gave a feral grin, stolen straight from the Kyuubi.

"Good luck." He stood up, heading outside as Tsunade stomped out behind him, the other two following as well. Shizune tried to convince Jiraiya to stop the fight, but to no avail.

Tsunade glared at Naruto while holding up a single finger. "One finger Gaki, That's all I will need to defeat you. Try not to die." She said arrogantly. Jiraiya groaned, and Naruto nodded apathetically.

Tsunade vanished from sight, but Jiraiya sighed in disappointment as soon as she did so. "It's over. She's gotten slow." He turned around, not wanting to see his teammate get hurt.

Naruto dodged the finger flick she sent at him, striking her in the stomach with his fist and whirling around to strike her down, three hits landed on her back, one on her kidney, one at her lungs, and the third at the base of her neck. Tsunade was laying on the ground, in a great deal of pain. Naruto had probably damaged her kidney.

"Pathetic. And you call yourself a Sannin. If I was an enemy I could have easily killed you." He turned around and walked away, leaving Jiraiya to attempt to pick up the pieces of Tsunade's shattered pride.

~Break~

"You didn't have to do that Naruto." The blond looked at the older man, viewing the serious expression that was so out of place on Jiraiya's face.

"Your right, I didn't. I wanted to prove a point, both to you and to her. Whatever is left of the Tsunade you once knew is gone now, and all that's left is a pathetic husk of a woman. Can't you tell it? She's unfit for shinobi duty, mentally weak. It's saddening how far the once mighty Senju clan has fallen." Jiraiya winced, but was unable to deny it. Tsunade, listening in the shadows unknown to the two felt like she was on the receiving end of the boys punches again, wondering if she really was that weak.

Jiraiya tried to excuse her behavior. "Tsunade has lost everyone important to her." It was noticeable to both other ninja that there was a large amount of bitterness in Jiraiya's voice when he said that.

"Your point? Uzumaki Kushina, the Red Death of Konoha, became a successful S-Rank Ninja despite losing her entire clan, homeland, parents, and even the one person she had left died not long afterwards. You, a well known imbecile are actually a high S, borderline SS-Rank ninja despite all that's happened to you. Let me see if I have the list right. You're an orphan, your sensei never trained you properly, every comrade you have ever had has died with the sole exception of your teammates, one of which hates you and the other is a traitor. You watched your teammate lose both her brother and her lover and then just give up, not even attempting to recover. Your apprentice and the man who was like your son died sealing away a Biju while you were sent out on a mission.

Did I miss anything? Oh, wait, I did. You were captured by Iwa during your youth and were tortured for sixth months, the scars of which you _still _bear.

Then we have Tsunade. Had a loving family all her life, even if her parents died not long after she became a shinobi. She knew her grandfather and granduncle as well before they passed, and then had a father figure in the Third for quite a while. Had two caring and supporting teammates along with a little brother for a large portion of her life. Eventually gained a lover.

However, the moment this charmed little life of hers came crashing down with the deaths of those last two she has given up, turning into a worthless alcoholic and disgracing the memory and actions of everyone she loved. I guarantee you that a genin would be able to surprise her at her current level easily, and you had best pray to god that you don't fight a high level ninja with her at your side. She will be a terrible liability, despite her so called super strength." Jiraiya winced again, but yet again was unable to speak up in her defense.

"Would you like another example? The Shodaime Hokage, Senju Hashirama. Lost his parents at an early age, watching them be tortured in front of him by members of the Uchiha clan. Spent years on the run, teaching and guarding his little brother Tobirama as he did so. He becomes the first Shinobi to reach SS-Rank threat level, engaged in several battles that changed the landscape of the earth, united with the very clan that killed his parents and created the first Shinobi Village. He is also well known for his compassion and wisdom.

So, tell me Jiraiya. In what way is Tsunade special that she can be allowed to collapse like a house of cards when things go against her when _thousands_ of shinobi have gone through far worse circumstances than her?"

Jiraiya bowed his head, and in the shadows Tsunade was nearly crying in shame. Had she really fallen so far? She knew the answer even before she finished the question.

Yes.

'_Well no more.'_ She swore mentally. She would recover her S-rank status and show the world and that pathetic brat just what happens when you cross a Senju, starting with Orochimaru! The first step was to get rid of her hemophilia.

~Break~

Jiraiya staggered into Tsunade's hotel room a week later, spotting Naruto and Shizune, the latter with her hands glowing green as she cleaned up the last parts of a swiftly healing injury. The two looked at him, both eyes demanding an explanation.

"Tsunade drugged my drink last night. I can barely see straight, nor can I properly channel chakra." Shizune gasped in horror at that, falling down and stuttering out her mentor's name. Naruto stood, forgoing the shirt for the moment and just throwing on his Haori. "Let's go. She's on the north side of town, and there is another two sets of chakra nearby as well." He said emotionlessly. Jiraiya nodded, snapping Shizune out of her funk while he did so, getting a partial remedy from her. The three left, arriving just in time to see Orochimaru biting his thumb and holding it out.

"You have hemophilia right?" He was cut off from saying anything further by Tsunade's fist swinging through the air where his head used to be. Orochimaru dropped his hand back to his side, laughing as he did so.

"Kukuku, I guess not." His head cocked to the side suddenly, and a feral grin spread across his face. "Naruto-kun come on out! I want a continuation of our little fight." The group of three leaped down from the roof as Kabuto joined Orochimaru, acting as if his presence was a great surprise. The ninja looked a little confused when no one even blinked.

"How did you manage to kill Sarutobi, Orochimaru?" Jiraiya asked. The Snake Sannin looked at him, still smiling.

"Ah, Jiraiya. Nice to see you too. Sarutobi fell easily once I revealed to the Shodaime just what happened to the Kyuubi after he died.

~Flashback~

"You're telling me that Sarutobi, little kind Saru, turned the newest Jinchurikki of the Kyuubi into a weapon?" asked a man that was still feared in the Elemental Nations, Senju Hashirama, in a cold and nearly dead tone. This man did not look like one that could inspire fear, standing at just over six feet with tanned skin, dark eyes, and long silky black hair which framed his face, he looked more like a Samurai then a ninja.

This look was further enhanced by his armor, a deep crimson in the Samurai style, leaving open only the sides for greater mobility, focusing on protecting the chest, shoulders, thighs, and forearms. A Konoha Hi-tai-ate was on his forehead and an unremarkable Katana at his hip. This was the man that was called the "Peaceful Demon of the Forest" for his way of life. This was the man that made the forests of Konoha, and brought a clan to the forefront of the world.

Hashirama stared at Orochimaru for several minutes, trying to tell if the man was lying. "You speak the truth." He said, his voice now heavy with sorrow. Orochimaru nodded wordlessly.

The ground itself shook as chakra poured for the great Senju's body, water swirling around him, drawn from the atmosphere by his rage. Both Tobirama and Orochimaru stood back, fearing the man's rage.

"You, Orochimaru. You brought us back using the technique my brother created, yes?" "Hai." Orochimaru was not stupid, he knew he would be unable to place the seals in Hashirama as the man was now, and also knew that Hashirama could destroy him.

"I will lend you my full strength to kill this traitor to the ideals of Konoha in exchange for one thing." Orochimaru practically drooled. He had summoned the two for a shock factor against Sarutobi, as well as using what little he knew of their abilities. Having a willing Hashirama using the full force of his skills to kill Sarutobi however, well, that was on a level far above what Orochimaru had planned. Yes, Orochimaru would do damn near anything to have this happen.

"Teach the Kyuubi Jinchurikki this jutsu and tell him to summon me. I have much to apologize for." That was easy enough for Orochimaru. The boy was incredibly talented, and would easily be able to learn the jutsu. The downside however was that the dead could come back to harm Orochimaru. He looked at the Senju, deciding that it would be better for his health if he obeyed the man.

"Very well." He would only give Naruto enough DNA for a single summoning though, no sense in allowing the boy to summon the might of the Shodaime to aid him if Orochimaru wound up fighting him.

Hashirama turned towards a very pale Sarutobi, his glare nearly causing the man to faint. He knew that Hashirama was more than a match for him. After all the man had needed fifteen S-Rank ninja to take him down, and that was _after _he contracted a terminal illness and fought it off for months, and had been hospitalized for four days before that fight. There was a reason Hashirama was the first ninja to reach SS status.

Regardless, Sarutobi mustered up his courage, reminding himself that he was quite talented as well. He knew he would be able to fight the man, and possibly beat him. Or so he convinced himself.

"I have surpassed you Hashirama-sama! I will defeat you, and then I will kill this traitor to the Leaf!" The Senju's anger only increased, little pieces of earth now floating up from the cracked surface. "Let me show you, Sarutobi, just how Konoha deals with traitors." The great man spat. Hashirama vanished from even Orochimaru and Sarutobi's eyes; proving just how much higher an SS-Rank ninja was above the rest.

Sarutobi knew as soon as the man vanished he would never win with a taijutsu fight, even with Enma in his staff form. Hashirama was also quite talented at genjutsu, something that Sarutobi had never put much effort into. '_I have but one way to match him.'_

"**Doton: Doryu Taiga!** (Mud river)" Sarutobi caused most of the earth around him to turn to mud and flow, knowing that no matter how fast Hashirama was he still had to touch the ground. He saw a glimpse of Hashirama at the crux of his technique, on hand in a half tiger seal, the mud flowing around him and into large balls above him.

"Try not to die to quickly Sarutobi. I have much more to do to you. **Doton: Yougan Ryuu Bakuha no Jutsu!** (Lava Dragon Explosion Technique)" The mud balls compressed on themselves, the sheer force of Hashirama's control over earth chakra turning them to lava, which formed into massive dragons with pitch black eyes, snarling at Sarutobi.

The two dragons flew towards Sarutobi at an unbelievable speed, the old fire shadow now fearing for his life. Even with his entire arsenal in the forefront of his mind he knew of no technique that could stop it. He was forced to jump as high as he could to avoid it, the lava dragons cascading down onto where he was standing. Sarutobi cursed, as now he was open to anything Hashirama wanted to do.

As the lava melted the land Hashirama prepared his next jutsu at the helpless Sarutobi. "**Suiton: Suigadean!** (Water fang bullet)" A circle of a dozen massive water spikes around Sarutobi, drawn straight from the air while Sarutobi furiously went through hand seals to counter it.

"**Katon: Hellfire!**" Sarutobi breathed out a small wave of condensed fire, focusing on a single fang, The two forces clashed, the fire evaporating most of the fang before it was ended. Sarutobi created a shadow clone, having it throw him out of the encircling fang-like spikes scant seconds before the spikes collided with his clone in the middle. Sarutobi was headed to the ground, but Hashirama gave him no time to recover.

"**Doton: Yougan Tsunami no Jutsu!** (Lava Tsunami)" The lava on the ground collected together, forming together into a massive wave the size of the Kage monument, headed straight towards Sarutobi. The man closed his eyes, expecting his death. A fist to his gut ruined that thought. He opened his eyes, getting up from where he had been smashed into a crater to see Hashirama in front of him, with a completely unchanged landscape and the man's glare unchanged.

'_Genjutsu!'_ That meant Sarutobi's position was even worse than it had been to begin with. Sarutobi had only used two jutsu during the genjutsu, but the second one had used up a full third of his chakra so he could escape what he thought was a lethal technique. Sarutobi went on the offensive, hoping to finish this quickly.

"**Katon: Cremation!**" Sarutobi breathed out fire, the pure blue fire scorching the ground as it wrapped around Hashirama. The last thing Sarutobi saw of the man was a pair of eyes with a fire inside them that was far greater than the one Sarutobi had created.

"**Mokuton: Fire suppression.**" Sarutobi turned back to the man in shock as wood lashed out from the ground in the shape of dragons, drawing the flames into their mouths and coming to rest around Hashirama, the heads waving in the air above the man who was completely unaffected by the S-Rank technique, not even having his clothes burnt.

"Normally I wouldn't fight a Konoha ninja if I could help it, but you have made it personal. The last request my wife made to me was that I make sure the Jinchurriki are protected and safe, not treated like garbage or turned into weapons. It was the cause of my death, actually. But I keep my word, and you will suffer." Hashirama's visage softened as he looked above him to the wooden dragons.

"Do you know how many kinds of unique woods there are? Thousands. This is the very rare "Absorption" wood, originating from a now sunken island called Atlantis. This wood brought the island to power, because this wood could absorb and amplify most substances placed in it without being destroyed or damaged. Imagine just what it does to fire?" Sarutobi paled even further, now nearly making Orochimaru look tan.

"**Mokuton: Collaborating Fire."** Two of the six dragon heads opened the mouths, flames flickering within. A loud whooshing sound was all Sarutobi heard before pure white fire spewed from their mouths. "The flames that can outclass the legendary fires of Amaratsu, the **"Flames of Kagu-tsuchi!** (Flames of the Fire Kami)" The ground where the flames struck just vanished in an instant, a large part of the roof was just gone. The flames died down after a few seconds, Hashirama not wanting to risk them destroying too much of the village. The smoke cleared to reveal Sarutobi surrounded by a cage of half melted adamantine staffs. "I can help you no more Sarutobi…it's over for me." So passed Enma, Summon boss of the Monkey clan, who all parties involved in the fight had forgotten about.

The dragons vanished, a sad expression on the former Kage's face. "He did not deserve to die for you." Sarutobi glared at Hashirama, the death of his greatest, and by this point only, friend and ally striking him deeply.

"I will destroy you! **Katon: Flames of the Goddess.**" The strongest fire technique that most users could create, this fire was orange and formed into the body of a large female, nearly ten feet high. Hashirama sighed in disappointment, and ended the fight.

"**Mokuton: Binding." **The fire technique vanished as Sarutobi's concentration was broken by four branches of wood wrapping around him, one on each limb. He tried to break out but was unable, even with half of his remaining chakra enhancing his limbs to help him and going so far as to open four of the gates in his attempt.

"Don't even bother. This is a unique wood, and harder than diamond. This is the result of fossilized wood being compressed by immense pressure, and even I can't break it and I created it." Sarutobi was a sickly white and sweating, the fact that he had been beaten so easily nearly killing him.

"Do you see the difference now? SS class ninja are truly gods amongst shinobi. Both Madara and I at our worst could have easily beaten you at your best." Hashirama sighed and shook his head, the teacher in him coming out to play one last time.

"You will die slowly Sarutobi. **Mokuton: Crucifixion.**" A cross of wood rose slowly from the ground, Sarutobi tied to it by the crystalized wood. Hashirama grew four large spikes, nailing one each through Sarutobi's hands and feet, the binding wood dissolving when he finished. Sarutobi was left staked to the cross, cut off from his chakra and bleeding from four areas. He was forced to raise himself up for each shuttering breath, somehow the life was being sucked out of him.

"This is **Erebus, **the wood of the Abyss. A unique and one-of-a-kind wood, Erebus holds all the despair of those that exist in the Abysses depths, never to escape. It sucks the will to live right out those it is connected to, and that will kill you within just a few minutes. But that is not enough for someone Tobirama and I taught, and who betrayed the very existence of those who helped you. Oh no, you will suffer worse.

**Mokuton: Muchi.** (Whips)" Large cylindrical strips of wood rose in front of Sarutobi, looking for all the world like wooden bull whips, which were known for striking the very flesh from man.

"You will be killed by those whips Sarutobi. They will strip the flesh from your bones and your mangled body will be shown to the village from the cross. Let your sins be known.

**Mokuton: Judgment of the Fool."**

~Break~

The field was silent except for Orochimaru's laughing when he finished his story. "He deserved every bit of it. Oh, and before I forget." Orochimaru tossed a scroll to Naruto. "My promise is fulfilled. I hope you live long enough to summon him." Tsunade sighed, speaking up for the others to hear.

"My Grandfather was generally a peaceful man. However, if an enemy did something he considered fundamentally wrong, well, that was when he earned the title of demon." Orochimaru laughed again, savoring the memories of Sarutobi's bloody and brutalized body hanging from the cross. Something happened that stopped his enjoyment, however.

Tsunade's fist sent ripples through the ground where it struck, Orochimaru having barely avoided it before he was sent flying from the shockwaves. "Enough. Sensei never did wrong by me, and I will not let you mock his memory." That gained her four incredulous glances, one from her former teammates and one each from her apprentice and Naruto. Tsunade stood from where she had been bent over after overextending trying to hit Orochimaru, and everyone there noticed a change in her.

As if a genjutsu had been dispelled they noticed the streamlined muscles, ones that hadn't been there a week ago. The entire group looked in surprise at the only female sannin as she smirked at Orochimaru, vanishing from view for a moment and reappearing in front of Orochimaru.

'_Shit_.' He dodged several strikes, forced to use all the agility he had worked for over his life to do so. He dodged another one, but this time Tsunade expected it, swinging her knee up as Orochimaru dodged her punch.

Jiraiya and Shizune winced at the audible cracking sound before Orochimaru went flying backwards with a spray of blood. Kabuto immediately shunshinned to the mans side, already attempting to heal the injury as Tsunade appeared beside her group.

"You all were not supposed to be here, Jiraiya." The Toad Sage winced lightly, fearing getting punched.

"How was I supposed to know you somehow got back into shape over the course of a week?" The blond smirked, watching with no small amounto of pride as Orochimaru slowly walked back towards them, nose still broken despite Kabuto's attempts.

"Don't bother little medic, his nose is shattered beyond heal…" She was cut off by Orochimaru's mouth opening, a pair of hands grabbing both sides of his mouth and pulling, another Orochimaru climbing out without the broken nose. Suprisingly it was Shizune who said what the entire group was thinking.

"Well, that was disgusting." Orochimaru smiled at her, creeping her out further. Then he turned to the three big threats, those being Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Naruto. Coming here he had thought there would be only two threats to his abilities, Jiraiya and Naruto, but with Tsunade coming back strong he was forced to reconsider. He spoke to Tsunade as he used what blood was left on his thumb earlier to mark his snake tattoo.

"So, Tsunade-chan, how did you get back in shape in a week? I know quite a few people who would love to know your secrets."

"Any medic Nin with a decent amount of skill knows just what to do to get the most out of a workout. Then there's me, far better than your average medic. What do you think happened?" That surprised Orochimaru, but not as much as Naruto nodding his head in agreement with her.

"Well then, I'm afraid that I don't quite have time to play with you and Jiraiya at the moment, so I'm going to ask that you fight with Kabuto. I have a little bit of fun to have with Naruto today, before I get what I came for."

"And what was that teme?" Asked Jiraiya. The pale shinobi smiled, a genuine one that stopped Jiraiya cold.

"A new ally."

~Break~

Naruto faced down Orochimaru as several large snakes with Kabuto on ones head attacked the two Sannin, Shizune leaping out of the fight as ordered. She was the only one there who was not in good condition, years of following Tsunade without training causing her abilities to rust.

For the second time today a head poked out of the Snake Sannin's mouth, this time it was diamond shaped and purple. The snake opened its mouth, revealing the hilt of a katana, which Orochimaru drew out. He smirked in anticipation at Naruto, hoping for a good fight.

"Let's see if you gotten any better." He said, appearing in front of him and swinging the Kusanagi. Naruto blocked it with his blade, the icy blue eyes staring apathetically into his amber ones. Orochimaru attempted to overpower him, but the boy didn't even blink from it before kneeing the sannin in the stomach, causing Orochimaru to smirk even wider.

"There is no give in your blade now boy. This time, however, we are moving into my arena, rather than your stealth fighting. **Katon: Blazing Red Cannon!**" A ball of red chakra formed over Orochimaru's hand, the sannin swinging it at Naruto in a punch. Naruto disengaged, jumping back to avoid it, but the ball came off Orochimaru's hand and rocketed towards him.

Naruto gripped his ninjato in his right hand, slapping the ball back towards the pale man with his other with the help of his earth chakra. Orochimaru easily weaved around it, as well as the following senbon. He moved forward, katana swinging at the blond's neck as his fist moved towards Naruto's gut, the boy dodging the blade and catching the fist. Orochimaru's smirk let him know something wasn't right.

"**Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"** Poisonous adders, a full dozen of them flew from the sannin's sleeves in an attempt to bite the boy's fist. Naruto didn't blink, didn't falter as the snakes approached his hand, only saying one word.

"**Boom."** The Naruto holding Orochimaru at bay exploded, and Orochimaru was forced to substitute away in order to avoid it. That was anticipated by the original blond however, and it was into a very well set trap that Orochimaru appeared.

"**Doton: Kyuu Tsuchi dageki!** (Sudden Earth Strike)" An armed formed before Orochimaru had substituted, grabbing the Sannin once he appeared and catapulting him into the air. The Sannin had no time to prepare a defense, as Naruto's next attack was already on the way.

"**Katon: Dragon Breath Jutsu."** The first thing that Orochimaru had noticed when he stopped flying up was an odd smell, almost like that of sulfur. He figured out Naruto's plan as it was happening.

"**Katon: Ignite.**" An explosion rocked the field, Naruto watching on with a small amount of satisfaction. He knew Orochimaru wasn't dead, but he was injured. Sure enough, on the ground was the burn corpse of a large snake, a corpse which was defiled further by a katana cutting through the mouth, and out came a scorched Orochimaru.

"Not bad, but since you've made it a proper ninjutsu fight now, well, let's see how you do. **Doton: Mud Shot."** The Sannin shot a continuous stream of mud at Naruto, strong enough to punch through steel. This was not something easily dodged either, as the Orochimaru could easily face him and continue the attack.

"**Suiton: Suihou no Jutsu!** (Water Cannon Technique)" The mud shot crumbled into dust half way to Naruto, the water drawn from the technique for Naruto's use. Orochimaru cursed mentally. That was the problem with mud techniques, which were a combination of earth and water. If your opponent had a large amount of skill with water manipulation they could steal the water from your techniques and use it for their own, as Naruto had just done to him.

Steaming water shot towards the black haired, man, and Orochimaru took action. "**Doton: Earth Wall Absorption!"** Designed specifically for taking on water attacks, an earthen wall rose in front of Orochimaru, absorbing the water like a sponge. The water could then be used for another technique by whoever drew upon it first.

'_He's too good at Ninjutsu for me to do anything other than match him.'_ Orochimaru thought, his eyes sliding to where his medic Kabuto and the several snakes he had summoned were getting beaten. '_Jiraiya must have taught him, and with Tsunade back to her former strength there is no way I can win this fight. She was always better in Taijutsu then us. Fine, I'll skip the fight and see if I can get what I came for. Should be easy enough, after all the weapon's owner is dead. I just hope that Sarutobi didn't program a strong loyalty to the village instead of to him."_

"Very nice Naruto-kun, most impressive. I would love to have someone like you on my side, all of my current soldiers are weak, unwilling to properly succeed. Oh, you could join me! After all, Konoha has nothing to offer you other than scorn and death, the latter only after they betray you."

Naruto raised an eyebrow, asking "and if I was to betray Konoha, it should be for you? What can you offer me?" '_Orochimaru is too dangerous for me to work with. Allies, certainly. Him as my Kage? I value my life, and Kyuubi would never give me any peace.'_

"I'm glad you asked." The Snake Sannin said, living up to his name as he attempted to slither inside of Naruto's defenses to achieve his objective, his words dripping with promises.

"You are obviously good enough that you don't need to be trained, and with the Kyuubi there is nothing I can give you to trump its power. However, I can give you a home, a place where you will be appreciated. I can give you servants, subordinates, even slaves if you so desire. You can have anyone in my village, and if you wish for something or someone from another all you need do is ask and I will set it up so you can take it. I can also give you a sparring partner to push your limits, to always be improving in the form of me."

It was a good offer, especially for Naruto, and if he hadn't been aware of the fact that Orochimaru would experiment on him in an attempt to replicate the Kyuubi's power he would have accepted. However, what Naruto wanted was to disappear, and Orochimaru would also want to use his power as a trump card, keeping him public for the greatest affect.

Besides, when Naruto left Konoha he already had a good idea of where he wanted to go.

As Tsunade and Jiraiya appeared behind him, and a burnt and beaten Kabuto showed up next to the Sannin he gave his answer.

"Sorry, but I will not follow you." That irritated Orochimaru, but resolved to put events into motion to make the boy see his side of things. He started the beginning of a plan to have the village ostracize Naruto even more, for a failure in a mission that was impossible to complete, even for one of his talents. Perhaps he could use that Uchiha to do so. Originally he had wanted Sasuke to counter his brothers Sharingan, but Naruto would be able to beat the Uchiha after a year or two of experience.

"Well then, this was a nice little reunion, but I am afraid that I have something waiting on me. Goodbye." Were the last words Orochimaru said to the group before shunshinning away.

The group of three looked at each other, before Tsunade said to them.

"Let's go home."

AN: Okay, first up I apologize for not putting the talk with Kyuubi last chapter. I wasn't quite expecting so many people to be unhappy with it. To clarify though, Naruto **lied** to Jiraiya about that so that if he actually leaves the village the man will be too filled with guilt to chase after him for a while, therefore letting him get away successfully. And no, I did not have a bad day the day I wrote that.

Next, no Hashirama is not over powered, Madara can outclass all five Hokage, and he has had years to perfect his bloodline. I will go further in depth on the skills of the shinobi.

Not much of a fight between Orochimaru and Naruto this time, but that is because Tsunade was there. Orochimaru knows Jiraiya can beat him, and he didn't know about the poison. Tsunade can beat him in taijutsu, so if he had stayed he would have died.


	23. Chapter 23

Naruto walked into Konoha, slightly behind the two Sannin in front of him, and it was because of this that he could hear the voices.

"Look! It's Lord Jiraiya and Lady Tsunade!"

"The Sannin! Oh my god!"

Those were just the beginning of the admiring tones, the fan girl squeals, and the hushed mutters of the two's fans. He observed the two in front of him, noticing just how much it irritated the both of them.

Jiraiya was acting like a fool, happily smiling and waving, winking at the women as well. However, each and every movement was forced, the smile was fake, and his eyes were on alert, almost like he was expecting to be attacked. Naruto found it somewhat odd that someone who had always seemed to thrive upon attention hated large amounts of it.

Tsunade on the other hand was not even attempting to enjoy it, her fists clenched and a twitch above her eye, jaw shut and a grimace clear on her features. Tsunade hated attention from the civilians, and while she didn't mind it from shinobi, she believed that the ninja in question should spend their time training rather than gawking at her.

Naruto reflected on the journey back, how Tsunade had done her very best to get to know him on the way. According to her he had, despite their bad start, kicked her rear into gear, and it was most likely because of him that she had been uninjured in the fight against Kabuto. Either of the Sannin by themselves would have been more than a match for the medic, but with a severely weakened Jiraiya, despite Shizune's antidote, along with an enemy who happily took every opening, they had had a small amount of trouble.

Anyways, she had doggedly attempted to batter down his guard until Jiraiya had taken her to the side and explained a few things about him. According to Jiraiya, Naruto was "emotionally dead, eternal battle-mode, and incredibly deadly." Naruto took a little offense to that. He experienced every emotion perfectly, he just ignored them.

After that she had changed her approach, attempting to learn about him instead of just talking to him. She no longer approached him, instead talking to Jiraiya to learn about him. After that she had done her very best to worm her way into his defenses out of some perceived duty to help make up for others mistakes. He supposed that it was because she was a medic. Under other circumstances Naruto would have allowed her in, but seeing as he was waiting for a moment to disappear, well, gaining additional bonds would make it harder for him to do what needed to be done.

Naruto returned to the present, seeing Tsunade and Jiraiya stop. They were in front of the Kage tower, and Naruto nodded a good bye to Jiraiya before leaving, both Sannin frowning at his lack of relation with Tsunade. Naruto roof-hopped away, he had a jutsu to prepare and a legend to meet, and he knew just who to sacrifice.

~Break~

There are many reasons that Konoha is considered the best shinobi village in the Elemental nations, and one of which is the people. Humans in Konoha have a reputation of being fine, upstanding people who will lend a helping hand to those in need. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule.

This man was one of them.

Harunobo Takehito was a miserly man, unwilling to spend any money to pay his assistant at the loaning shop he owned. He was old, bitter, and hateful of pretty much everyone, charging outrageous rates of interest for the lowest of loans. This was a man with no family, having never done a good deed in his life if he could help it. No one would miss him, and a few would even quietly celebrate this mans death.

Naruto smiled to himself as he waited for the mans assistant to leave the shop. He was not usually one for vengeance, but his man had been responsible for the very first attack upon him. The man had taken a moment to celebrate an incredibly successful loan, drinking and treating himself for the first time in years upon Dango and Sake. He had seen the little blond boy shivering just inside an ally, and had decided to have himself a bit of fun.

The word Demon had been carved into his stomach that day.

Naruto spotted the assistant leaving, and took the opportunity to strike, appearing behind him and striking his neck, knocking him out while leaving him alive, grabbing his falling body and shunshinning away to his prepared area, leaving no trace of his presence. He placed the man in the coffin, finishing the last few seals. He backed up, going through the hand signs.

"**Kuchyoise: Edo Tensei!**" He watched with interest as the coffin sealed itself, steaming at the edges as a large portion of his chakra was drained from him. It was the reserves of the average jonin, not much of a problem for most Kage-level ninja or for Naruto. The coffin opened, the door falling to the side, as out walked the Shodaime.

In the full prime of his life, his body would easily be considered handsome by many people, both male and female. Long black hair framed his tanned face, his lean and strongly muscled frame only enhanced by his outfit. The Peaceful Demon of the Forest looked upon Naruto, and immediately knew that this was the Jinchurriki. Naruto bowed slightly in greeting, respecting the man for his strength. Hashirama bowed back, showing respect for Naruto's strength in being able to handle the Kyuubi, before doing something completely unexpected.

Hashirama continued the bow, falling to his knees and pressing his head to the ground in front of Naruto. "I am truly sorry, Jinchurriki. It is because of my failure that you are forced to bear this burden." Naruto was left at a loss of what to do. Honestly, how often do you have one of the legends of the shinobi world apologizing whole-heartedly to you?

"I do not know what you are apologizing for, but I accept it and forgive you." The blond decided to go with a formal approach, always a good choice when you do not know someone. The Senju rose from the boy, remaining on his knees on the ground.

"You will not so easily forgive me when you find out just why I am apologizing." Naruto sat in front of him, both ninja ignoring the fact that they were on the ground.

"Then tell me."

Hashirama blinked, deep brown eyes remaining steely and apologetic. "Very well."

"It began with the creation of Konoha. My best friend at the time, Madara, and my brother, Tobirama, joined together with our mighty clans to found our great village, the first of its kind. It was a good plan, and soon we gathered many other minor clans to our side. Life was good for some time, but soon we remembered just why no other clan of Shinobi had settled down for long.

The Bijuu attacked. Eight mighty beasts came, destroying thousands of shinobi, eradicating entire clans. It marked the first time in history that more than two Bijuu were seen in the same place, and marked the massive devastation that they could create. Madara, Tobirama, Madara's blind brother Izuna, my wife Mito, and several skilled sealers met the beasts at the newly built gate to Konoha. We fought for a full week, the group of us slowly sealing every Bijuu that had come into specific trees I had created for the purpose. Izuna fell in that battle, and we all collapsed and were in a month long coma afterwards.

Izuna's death changed Madara, who had lived solely for his brother. Madara had taken Izuna's eyes for the Eternal Mangyeko Sharingan at the request of Izuna, who could not stand to see his brother blind. Madara had obtained the Mangyeko in the first place through sheer mastery of the Sharingan, and Izuna by accidently killing his best friend in battle.

Madara used his for the good of his clan, giving his all and fighting till his eyes bled to keep his clan alive and strong, and Izuna was his only true support. I was his friend, but I could not be there for him the way Izuna was. Izuna eventually gave Madar his eyes, learning to fight blind.

After the creation of the other Shinobi villages they were worried about Konoha's power, and the fact that we had the war-hungry Uchiha as a part of it. In order to keep the peace I gave varying Bijuu to the villages, spreading out the power. The Kyuubi had never attacked a village before, in fact the only reason we knew of it was because of the Senju library, of which my family was the guardian.

Originally, Madara had been supportive of my becoming Hokage. In fact I had even offered the position to him and he refused, stating that I was the better man, and a better leader. All that he had asked was that the Uchiha be allowed to grow, and be the front line fighters of Konoha. Naturally I agreed.

However, once Izuna died in that fight the man changed. I'm not quite sure when, but he became bitter and angry at me, the village, and even the world in a surprisingly short time.

Every man has a snapping point, a place where once they have entered they cannot leave. Madara survived the death of his parents, the death of his relatives, and the trauma of hundreds of battles for his younger brother, the same with me. If our positions had been reversed it is entirely likely I would have been the one to have gone insane if it was not for Mito-chan.

Regardless, Madara became insane, eventually becoming as bloodthirsty as his father, the former clan head, used to be. A man Madara had always despised, and had killed because the man wanted Izuna to be sent to the field of combat before he was ready.

I was forced to step in, but Madara would no longer listen to reason, eventually approaching his clan to help him take over Konoha, saying that I was too soft a leader. The Uchiha refused. They were as battle-weary as the Senju, my clan, was. Despite their loyalty and love for their chief, they would not cross someone who had done right by them.

Madara grew enraged, exiling himself from Konoha and going on a rampage across the Elemental Nations. I was preoccupied with Konoha, so I heard little of it at first. By the time I had heard the truth of his deeds he was approaching us, hoping to annihilate Konoha with the aid of some mighty demon. I could not allow this.

I confronted him at a small plains area, large enough for a fight, but small enough that it would hopefully be contained. I should have known better. Our fight shook the earth and rocked the world, irreversibly changing the landscape.

Would you like to hear of it?" Hashirama waited for Naruto to nod, the boy knowing that this was perhaps his only chance to know the true capabilities of the two legends.

~Flashback-Valley of the End Battle~

"Madara my friend, why are you doing this? Is it because you have truly grown to hate Konoha?"

A tall, fair-skinned man with black, waist length hair that was spiked at the top with an Uchiha clan outfit and obsidian Samurai-like armor sneered at the man across from him. His hair covered his right eye entirely, and an orange war fan was upon his back, a chain connecting it to a Kama, a sickle like weapon.

"Hate Konoha? Oh you poor, deluded Senju. I am loyal to Konoha, and I will show it by destroying you before you have the chance to do the same to my precious village!" He whipped his Gunbai (War Fan) from his back, its orange and white pattern catching Hashirama's attention as a burst of wind swung from it, lighting on fire insantly.

"So be it." Was all that the current Kage of Konoha said, vanishing from view, his katana soon becoming caught on Madara's Kama.

"You will die here Hashirama!" Madara knocked Hashirama back, swiftly taking the advantage with his dual wielded Gunbai and Kama, easily slashing and striking at the brown-haired man.

Hashirama blocked the Kama, ducking around the fire wave from the Gunbai, the chain attaching it to the Kama stretching as the fan was used as a flail, keeping him on the defensive. He dodged several strikes from it despite the skill with which Madara used it.

His katana soon broke the chain connecting the two weapons, and Madara leapt back, tossing the Kama to the side, the Gunbai left embedded in a tree some distance away. Hashirama sheathed his katana, knowing that they were far to evenly matched for any victory to come from a close range melee fight.

"I should have known it wouldn't be that easy, it never is." Madara's legendary Sharingan, in its final form the Eternal Mangyeko Sharingan, appeared in the onyx-haired mans eyes.

"Let's kick this up a notch. **Katon: Gouka Dokatsu no Jutsu! (**Hell Fire Serpent Skill)" A massive snake of fire slithered out of the Uchiha's mouth, its tongue snaking out as it glared at Hashirama. It moved, every bit as quickly as the two shinobi had been earlier as an identical serpent of water appeared, curled around Hashirama. Madara smiled as his fire tied Hashirama's serpent.

"So you to have gained in skill. Quite impressive to use such a powerful attack as the **Leviathan** without hand seals. You must have finally mastered the fourth level of water. Now we are evenly matched, lightning and fire versus earth and water. Let's see which of us is truly better!"

'_No Madara,' _Hashirama thought. '_I have just never truly gone all out against you.'_

The two gods amongst Shinobi gathered their chakra, preparing for the true battle of their lives.

An ominous black wave rolled across the sky as lightning flashed, thunder boomed, fire burned, water flooded, and earth shook, and the forests themselves joined in on the fight.

Madara sent massive electric dragons at his former friend, and a large wall of wood blocked them.

Hashirama appeared on the wall as a tsunami raged towards the Uchiha, already preparing his next attack.

A massive wall of fire met the tsunami, steam obscuring the battlefield as Madara used the moisture in the air to channel lightning, the electricity sparking through the air and electrocuting everything inside the mist.

The earth itself rose to defend Hashirama, massive hills of the earth absorbing all the water in the air and stopping the electricity as the water was drained from the earth, forming behind Hashirama in the shape of a giant.

An identical giant of fire formed behind Madara, both behemoths easily the size of mountains. The two shinobi rushed each other, the giants following just as quickly.

The two ninja engaged in a taijutsu battle, far too fierce to possibly describe as loud booms rang throughout the clearing. The water giant won the fight when massive trees grew around the fire giant, stopping it cold just long enough for the water giant to pierce its fiery heart.

The water giant moved to attack Madara, the puny human at its feet, when all the water that made up its existence vanished into a hole between dimensions upon Madara's glare. The elemental fight resumed, massive spikes of wood attempting to skewer Madara even as fangs of water attempted the same from above.

"**Chain Lightning!"** The Uchiha screamed, the black thunderclouds playing host to an incredibly powerful technique.

Everything was struck by dozens of bolts of lightning in a few brief seconds, with the sole exception of Hashirama, standing beneath a large globe of electrified water.

"**Combination: Electric Hydro!**" Hashirama used one of his many combination techniques, using the pure power behind Madara's electric jutsu along with the channeling properties of water to form an incredibly powerful cannon.

A massive blast of water raged towards Madara, and he smiled.

"**Kamui!**" The entire hydro cannon vanished, leaving a somewhat dumbfounded Hashirama looking towards a smug Madara.

"Do you see it yet? Regardless of what you do I can win! With the power of the Sharingan I have surpassed you!"

"Izuna would be very disappointed to see you now Madara! Your brother believed in peace, in our clans, and you are betraying him."

The light of madness shown in Madara's eyes as he raged, hands flashing through seals as black fire leaked from his eyes.

"You have no knowledge of what Izuna would have wanted me to do Hashirama! He would have looked to me to bring peace to the elemental nations, and I shall do so! **Kyuubi!"** Hashirama's eyes widened in horror as the last of the tailed beasts coalesced into being, its blood red and malicious chakra coming together behind Madara in the form of the great nine-tailed fox.

"Kyuubi! Fire." Crimson flames left the beasts maw, merging with the greatest flames in existence. "**Amaratsu!"**

Black and crimson formed a mighty match as the two flames merged, forming a wave of pitch black flames with crimson highlights.

"Burn in hell Hashirama!" It looked like it was over, an unstoppable and unavoidable wave of flames that was melting the earth around it as it sped towards the Shodaime.

The earth itself seemed to reject the event as it rose into a range of mountains, wooden walls locking together with it even as a river changed its course to better aid Hashirama, the three elements forming into an incredible force to match the flames from hell. A bead of sweat dripped down both shinobi's brows as the two waves grew closer, and they collided with a sonic boom that sent even the Kyuubi flying.

Hashirama rose from the shattered ground, seeing the changed to the landscape.

A massive gouge raced across the land, forming a rough valley, and the river that he had forcibly redirected flowed into it, already settling into a slightly deeper gouge that would form its new bed. A massive cliff was there as well, forming a beautiful waterfall.

"Hashirama-kun!" He heard a voice, soft and melodious, which filled him with fear as he whirled to face his beautiful wife.

"Mito-Chan! You have to leave, now! Madara will have no problem using you against me!"

His regal wife raised up to glare at him, her light brown eyes, so usually filling him with light and happiness now inspiring no small amount of fear in him.

"I came to help you and this is the thanks I get? I should just leave you to face both the Kyuubi and Madara alone!" Hashirama sighed, unable to bear upsetting his wife, but knowing that if he conceded to her he would regret it when Madara killed her.

"I am sorry Mito-Chan, but I do not wish you to die." The simple and honest statement proved to have been the right thing to say as Mito calmed down considerably, her eyes softening back to the lovely caramel he knew and loved.

"You won't Hashirama-kun. I am here to help, not get myself killed. As you know I have no small amount of skill in fuinjutsu. I am going to seal the Kyuubi into myself, allowing you to fight Madara on an even basis." Hashirama looked horrified at the idea of it.

"But…"

"But nothing dear. It's the only way to rid us of the Kyuubi. I don't know why it sided with Madara when it has always been the most peaceful of the Biju, but it is still the most powerful of them. Your Mokuton will only be able to calm it down long enough for an Uzumaki to seal it, as we are the only ones who have proven resistant to its poisonous chakra."

"The last test was over a hundred years ago Mito!"

"Does it matter? Now, you will stall Madara with a jutsu, and calm down the Kyuubi for thirty seconds. That's all I need."

Hashirama looked torn, worried about Mito. As the Kyuubi and Madara recovered, he accepted, knowing that there was no alternative. He bit his lip, nearly hard enough to draw blood, before turning back to his wife.

"One minute. That is the longest that I can keep a shinobi of Madara's caliber imprisoned in my strongest containment jutsu. It is quite likely that he will break out sooner than that. I will be of no help to you if the Kyuubi breaks free from my Mokuton." Mito nodded, accepting the risks, her magnificent strawberry hair framing her beautiful face. He kissed her, praying that this would not be the last that they shared.

"Hashirama!" came the roar of the insane Uchiha. "Go, hide." Hashirama told Mito. "Get ready to seal it away. Be careful." Mito nodded, and Hashirama ran through hand seals.

"**Doton: Prison**." Two mud rivers began to flow next to Hashirama, soon surrounding Madara and forming into a large orb with Madara in the middle. The mud continued into it, easily keeping the Uchiha imprisoned.

"**Mokuton: Biju Suppression!**" The green necklace he always wore glowed emerald as wooden dragons rose from the ground surrounding the Kyuubi. While his other techniques were sufficient for the lower ranked Biju, this technique, made of wood designed with the Kyuubi in mind, was the only one that could possibly relax the Kyuubi.

The Kyuubi, deep within a blood thirsty haze, recognized an odd scent, a homely scent, one of pine and its fellow Biju. The reminder of the times before its siblings lost their sanity soon brought it out of its bloodlust, and the entire demeanor of the Kyuubi changed. The chakra, while still ominous, was no longer oppressing, and the mighty Biju's eyes became unclouded. It turned to the ball of mud restraining Madara, one eye on Hashirama. It nodded its head towards the massive ball, a warning clear in its eye.

Two things happened in one moment. First the mud exploded away from Madara, revealing the man's ultimate technique in all its glory.

Susanoo-God of Storms

Hashirama had never understood just why the Uchiha had called the technique Susanoo, but then again he rarely understood any of what went through the man's mind.

Madara's Susanoo was a fearsome sight, an enormous construct with its mouth obscured by a high collar, solid black armor with a large sword.

Hashirama was one of the few blessed, or cursed, to know that Madara had grown skilled enough to change his Susanoo from its original form, seeing it as inefficient and to bulky to be of use in a proper fight.

At the same time, the Kyuubi gave a massive roar of rage as it felt its chakra and body being sealed. It looked at Hashirama, the man's now revealed wife, and Madara, and internally vowed to kill these three humans if it could. That was the last sight of day that the Kyuubi would see for over a century.

Mito swayed in pain, Hashirama catching her before she fell. She made a request to him as she coughed up blood, her first and last heartfelt request.

"Please, now that there is one of us the other villages will see the Biju as nothing more than controllable weapons, and treat those of us with Biju like vermin. Please Hashirama; don't let that happen to us…the Jinchurikki."

'_Power of human sacrifice? A powerful name and a fitting.'_

"I will make sure of it Mito-Chan." The Uzumaki passed out soon afterwards, and Hashirama's appearance changed. A clone made of wood formed from the ground, taking Mito into its arms and rushing off from her.

The ground cracked, Hashirama's rage resulting in him losing control over his potent chakra. He turned to Madara, glaring for the first time in the fight.

"Time to get serious." Madara smirked, enjoying himself to the fullest now, his temporary insanity retreating.

"I thought you'd never get to it." The Susanoo slashed at Hashirama with an overhead slash, Hashirama turning sideways as a chasm opened up next to him. His eyes never left Madara's, and it was making the Uchiha nervous. Madara brought forth the full might of his Susanoo, dozens of slashes going towards Hashirama in mere seconds. The man was able to avoid every one, massive gashes opening in the earth around him.

"You will never beat me Madara." He stated. "**Mokuton: Execution."** Thousands of thin, sharp branches penetrated Madara's Susanoo, but the man would not go down so easily.

"**Katon: Pillar!**" A massive pillar of fire engulfed Madara and his chakra construct, turning the branches to ashes. The fire vanished, the only trace of it was the black flames on the constructs sword. It swung again, this time leaving a massive chasm in the ground, flames trailing along it. Hashirama would not be able to dodge this one.

"**Mokuton: Locking shield of the forest god!'** A large shield of crystallized wood, formed of many branches and trunks locked into place in front of the Fire Shadow, the attack and defense meeting and sending shockwaves throughout the newly created valley.

When the dust cleared Hashirama stood strong, shield slightly dented and now shifted to a smaller form, floating around him. Madara cursed the man mentally. Hashirama was to strong for his own good.

"**Katon: Six Dragons of Hell!**" Six red dragons materialized around the Uchiha, charging at the wood using man with great speed. Hashirama continued to stay one step ahead of his opponent.

"**Mokuton: Fire Suppression." **Six wooden dragons rose around him, devouring their fiery adversaries, and white flames soon lit in their mouths, the dragons weaving around Hashirama continuously.

"So you can stop regular fire, let us see how you do against the ultimate flames! **Amaratsu: Wave."** A massive wave of black flames, similar to the one from earlier blasted from both of Madara's eyes, a little bit of blood dripping from them.

"**Mokuton: Collaborating Fire! Mokuton: Flames of Kagu-Tsuchi! (**Flames of the Fire Kami)" The dragons roared, white flames blasting from their mouths as a wave of the purest white fire raged towards Madara's attack.

"**Mokuton Hijutsu: Jukai Kotan!** (Wood Release Secret Technique: Nativity of a world of Trees)" As the waves collided a massive forest grew around them, taking purchase in the walls of the worlds newest valley and growing on the sides, the entire forest becoming massive.

'_This battle is mine.'_ Hashirama thought.

The two fire walls collided, struggling for several moments, both forces looking on in trepidation, before the white flames broke the wall.

"No." Madara pleaded tonelessly as he watched his best attack be defeated. "How is this possible? **Kamui!" **Madara started coughing, the stress of multiple techniques of this magnitude in a short time taking a toll even on his eyes, superior to every other pair though they were.

He looked around in horror at the battlefield that was now in Hashirama's favor, the entire area was now forested. He glared at his opponent as his Susanoo became wrapped in the flames of Amaratsu, blood dripping from his left eye.

"Why? Why can I not defeat you? We should be evenly matched, hell we were evenly matched before Izuna died!"

Hashirama looked on sadly as his once greatest friend drove himself nearly to death.

"You cannot win now Madara! Give up, please. Don't make me destroy you." The insane gleam returned to Madara's eyes as obsidian flames exploded from his chakra construct.

"Die a painful death Senju!" He spat, leaping into the air with his ultimate technique charged and ready.

"**Sharingan Hijutsu: Susanoo: Fiery Thunder God!"** Lightning struck from the heavens upon Madara's sword, adding a massive amount of electrical power to an already supreme technique. The heavens themselves opened up as bolt after bolt added their might to Madara's technique, a technique so powerful it could kill a Biju.

"So it has come to this. For what it is worth my old friend, I am sorry.

"**Mokuton Hijutsu: Demon of the Forest."** Water from the river rose into the air as a massive Shinigami rose from the ground behind Hashirama, the water coating the wood creation completely. Holding a massive Katana and wearing a demonic mask, this attack had become legendary for destroying an entire army in a single second.

Hashirama placed his hand on his katana, the wooden demon leaping with him as he rose up to meet Madara like an avenging angel.

"**Die Senju!**"

"**Good-bye old friend.**"

When the smoke cleared, Madara lay dead on the ground, body mangled beyond repair, and Hashirama had a large gash upon his arm.

The legendary man walked away, katana lying broken on the ground.

~End Flashback~

Hashirama was silent for several minutes after he finished, letting Naruto absorb the story. The abilities they showed seemed impossible, but if this was his actual skill-set then how the heck did he die before the first shinobi war?

"Madara had always been impatient, and it showed in his fight. His Susanoo telegraphed his moves ahead of time." The Shodaime said, eyes on the ground, before continuing his story.

"The death of Madara changed the condition of the world, one of its strongest shinobi lay slain, and by the hands of the other. My wife, Mito, survived sealing the Kyuubi into herself, but had passed out because of the irreversible changes that the Kyuubi's chakra had woven into her. She had gained a powerful fire affinity, able to call the full might of the Kyuubi's flames at will once she mastered her affinity.

The request she made to me in that battle was the first and last one she has ever made, because anything else she wanted she was strong and intelligent enough to get. I honored that request, and I died because of it.

Anyways, she was right about her observation. Just a few days after that fight we received word that the Ichibi had been sealed into a human. We approached Suna in anger, seeing that the person they sealed it in was a priest, and Suna failed to seal the beast properly, resulting in the priest becoming insane, and I engaged him.

The priest was legendary for his poisons, and when that was combined with the Ichibi's ability to manipulate sand I wound up being poisoned just a few seconds before I could reseal the beast in a kettle. I survived the poison easily enough, but it left my immune system weak, and a hereditary disease hit me not to long afterwards.

A version of Tuberculosis, this one is both unnamed and far more deadly. It spread in a remarkably short time, and it was only a…connection I had with nature that allowed me to fight it off for a few years. Eventually the idea of Jinchurriki caught on, and eight of them, with full control over their respective Biju, and Seven other S-Rank ninja approached Konoha, That was several years after I first contracted my disease, and I had secretly been hospitalized for four months before that, my illness nearly taking my life at several points. When I heard of the soon-to-be attack I was enraged, and refused to listen to reason for the first time in my life.

I met them on the field of battle, coughing up blood the entire time, and engaged them. Regardless of what anyone said afterwards, not one of them walked away alive, and the Biju reigned free for a time. Of course, it took my life to do so."

Hashirama gained a slightly bitter smile, his voice taking on an ironic and bitter tone.

"I died at peace with myself and the world, happy that I had finished my task. I lived a long, full life, and I was even able to see my granddaughter born, so I was happy.

Then I was summoned by the snake-like man, Orochimaru, and I learned that my village, the village in which I tried to instill a sense of morals despite it being a Shinobi Village, the Village which I helped to build and which I fought for, had turned a Jinchurriki into a weapon, I was furious, still am actually. I am still tempted to destroy this place." The man paused, noticing Naruto's confused expression.

"Weapon? I was not turned into a weapon." This time it was Hashirama who looked confused, speaking out against Naruto.

"What do you mean? You show all of the symptoms of a weapon trained from birth that has only recently begun to gain a humanity."

Naruto cocked his head to the side, confused at just how Hashirama had gotten that impression.

"I had a terrible childhood; shunned, hated, beaten, and hunted, but the Third never attempted to turn me into a weapon." Hashirama sighed; face returning to a sad expression.

"That's just as bad. I gave the Biju to the other villages to avoid warfare. To this day I still don't know how they learned to seal away the Biju, as the only ones who were capable of doing so other than me were the Uzumaki Clan, your clan, and they would refuse to share that information, claiming that it was too dangerous."

"That still does not make this your fault." Hashirama took on a look of guilt.

"I gave the villages the Biju, and I allowed Mito to seal the Kyuubi. Of course if she heard me say that I wouldn't live to long, and whether or not I allowed it she would have done it. I could have stopped her though. There was another way for me to rid myself of the Kyuubi, and once I looked back at the battle I realized that Madara had somehow managed to control the Kyuubi, as its eyes showed sanity before Mito sealed it." Naruto shook his head, sighing as he did so. Apparently the Shodaime was the kind of man who would blame himself for things that were obviously not their faults. He himself admitted that Mito would have done it anyways.

"Well, if it truly is your fault, and an error you made, how do you intend to make up for it? I highly doubt you would have told Orochimaru to give me the Edo Tensei just to talk with you."

Hashirama nodded in conformation.

"There is but two things that I can give you, and one is the secret to becoming an SS-Rank Ninja from skill alone. The second is how to learn of your clan Heritage."

AN: Sorry for the delay, but the Valley of the End Fight didn't want to work out for me, and I still don't think I did it justice.

ChronoMitsurugi I disagree with your ranking of Akatsuki. By my reckoning of what their powers and abilities should be if the creators of Naruto had followed their own rules should be this.

Low S-Rank:

Hidan-his only skill is with the three bladed scythe, and he would be many times better if he was actually skilled in wielding it. He will be in my story. Also, he relied too much on the immortality and sacrifice jutsu.

Zetsu: He is more of a scout than a fighter, and became a S-rank through stealth and being a ninja rather than a shinobi.

Mid S-Rank:

Deidara: He has a very versatile bloodline, and in the manga is a long range fighter that should have killed Sasuke. He will still focus on long range fighting, but I will expand a bit on his bloodline if Naruto fights him.

Konan: Overspecialized, she focused only on her paper Ninjutsu, which renders her vulnerable to any adaptable foe. My Naruto would have perhaps the easiest time with her.

Kisame: Based on chakra reserves, Ninjutsu skill, and swordsmanship Kisame would be in the High S-Rank, but take Sameheda away and he's screwed. His style of Ninjutsu burns through chakra at rates that would kill most Kage. Without Sameheda he doesn't have that extra bonus to place himself in the truly strong area, and swordsmanship is useless without a blade. He still remains one of the best of Akatsuki, but only so long as he holds Sameheda.

High S-Rank:

Sasori-The revolutionizer of puppetry techniques and with years of experience in them, Sasori should have beaten Chiyo and Sakura in the Anime. Between his puppets, ability to use legendary or extinct bloodlines through said puppets, along with the years of experience and seeing firsthand what can be done with those bloodlines, Sasori could easily become a God amongst Shinobi. After all, puppetry is the field of ingenuity, and Sasori has to be incredibly creative.

Itachi-Extreme badass, MS, incredibly high shinobi skills to go with that, genjutsu master, Ninjutsu master, talented in kenjutsu, incredibly knowledgeable, need I say more?

Kakuzu-Five elemental master (First two exercises apiece, not my non-canon four), great with Taijutsu, four extra bodies to fight autonomously by his side, massive jutsu library, over a century of experience, Kakuzu is in my opinion the third strongest of the original Akatsuki Nine (before Tobi, after Orochimaru), and could most likely defeat Itachi were it not for Susanoo and Tskuyomi.

Pein- Six bodies, each holding a different power in addition to the physical abilities that they have and the Dojutsu of the founder of Shinobi. There isn't much that Pein can't beat, and those that can beat him are the very top of the pyramid of S-Rank Shinobi. I believe that the only one in Akatsuki who can approach Pein's level is Sasori, and that is only because of the sheer numbers of and skill with which he wields his puppets.


	24. Chapter 24

The sound of a thousand birds filled the air as electricity crackled, held in the hand of a shinobi. A red eye glared, the other eye shut and bleeding from a light scratch over it. The shinobi yelled at the man across from him.

"Naruto! Stop this foolishness, please! If you just come back now we can forget that this ever happened. Please Naruto, Konoha will hunt you down if you leave like this!" The blond man said nothing as a blue orb formed in his left hand, fire soon spinning out of it.

~Break~

"The Uchiha has done what now?" came the apathetic tone of a blond shinobi. The shinobi was Uzumaki Naruto, chunin of Konohagakure, Hidden Village in the Leaves. Not much had changed with him since Tsunade had taken over the position of Hokage a month ago, but one thing that would catch your attention if you knew him well was a slight change in his eyes. It was the look of a man who had been pushed too far, but to Tsunade it looked no different than his regular appearance.

"Uchiha Sasuke has abandoned Konoha for Orochimaru, and he did so late last night. I am unaware of whether or not it was willing, but for the sake of the mission we shall say that it was. Now Naruto, I need you to retrieve him." Said the blond woman, going over several scrolls as she did so.

"By myself? If someone took him forcefully then I alone would likely not be enough to retrieve him." Naruto observed, wondering just what the woman was intending. Tsunade sighed, her posture registering defeat. Her brown eyes looked up at him, warmth in them, but a steel deeper down that told him she had no choice.

"If Sasuke ran off alone you should be more than enough to take him down. After all, you were able to hold off Orochimaru when he was serious, not exactly a feat that most are capable of. Unfortunately, if Sasuke has been kidnapped, I have no shinobi available to send out other than genin, and one chunin. Of course, if Orochimaru did send someone to kidnap Sasuke he would not send anyone that could be handled by genin. In fact they would most likely be elite jonin level, if not High ANBU level. I can only send you, seeing as you are at the skill level of a Sannin."

Naruto nodded in agreement, it made sense to him. He knew that the only chunin was Shikamaru already, the boy's father had decided to train the boy a bit more in family techniques now that he was a chunin. However, his mind now started to turn in a new direction. '_I will be alone? I can finally leave, ninja do not come back from missions all the time. Fastest way to get to the point where I can disappear into chaos would be to head to the Valley of the End.'_ He spoke up, no difference in his voice or posture.

"I will accept the mission. However, is lethal force allowed?" Tsunade nodded seriously.

"Good luck Naruto." The blond boy nodded and left the Hokage's office, but little did the woman know that she would never see him again.

It had been relatively easy for Naruto to catch up to the group, and now he was observing them, unnoticed by them. There was a large man with spiky brown hair, a red-head with a terrible temper, a four-armed brown haired man, and one really pale man with silver hair and an odd protrusion from his neck. The group was powerful, Naruto had watched as they used some sort of "curse seal level two" to defeat a squad of jonin. That implied several things. First, it implied that they would not be able to defeat the jonin normally. That meant that the curse seal was a crutch to give them extra power. There were several obvious side affects to it however, one of which was apparent exhaustion.

The group of four had a barrel with them that had several seals on it. He had easily been able to interpret the seals even from the distance that he was at. Those seals were designed to keep a person alive, even if they were an inch from death. However, the only one who could possibly heal someone that close to death was Tsunade, and even then it would be a very, _very_ difficult for her to do so. So it had to be for something else. Sasuke had to be in that barrel, especially as the group was being quite careful with it. Naruto made a shadow clone, having it henge into the form of one of the jonin from earlier, injuries included, and had it enter the clearing.

Four heads snapped towards the eastern part of the clearing as one, and soon the group grew angry.

"You? How the fuck are you alive shithead?" was the snarled outburst from the red-headed women. From the shadows of the woods came a man, stumbling and blood-stained, injuries obvious in the way he moved. A head injury leaked blood down his face, his brown hair now murky and congealed.

"I…will kill…you all." The man stuttered, swaying on his feet even as he did so. A snarl came over the four-armed mans face as he walked forward, only to be stopped by the biggest one. "I will take care of them Kidomaru. For someone as injured as he is he has a large amount of chakra left, he must have taken chakra pills. I will have my fill and catch up." The four-armed man, now revealed as Kidomaru nodded, speaking as he did so.

"Hurry up Jirobo, we are on a schedule, remember?"

"Yeah, hurry up fatty, Orochimaru-sama needs this brat for his new body!" The red-haired woman interjected, her face set into a perpetual snarl. Naruto noticed something odd about her though. Her voice held a tint of hate when she said Orochimaru's name. '_She doesn't like Orochimaru then, well that's helpful. I can easily take advantage of this._'

"A lady should not curse Tayuya-san, it is impolite." Said Jirobo, resulting in the woman screaming additional curses at him. The other three jumped off, the four armed man carrying the barrel.

"Now then trash, I don't know how you are still alive, but you shouldn't have wasted what's left of your life pursuing us. Look at you, you can't even stand straight. I will put you out of your misery soon. **Doton Kekkai: Doro…**Gah!" The stumbling Jonin poofed into smoke even as Jirobo hit the ground, arms first, soon followed by the rest of his torso. A click resounded through the clearing as the blond shinobi continued on, already plotting the next deception.

Naruto took it slow, only going a little bit faster than the group was, and when they stopped for the night, the Jonin made a return trip.

Same as before, three snarling faces turned towards the side of the clearing, showing a Jonin that looked the same as earlier, with the exception of a few injuries from before were missing.

"How? How did you beat Jirobo?"

"He was the weakest of us, but if you're here now…" were the mutterings of the two remaining males. Tayuya on the other hand remained silent, gripping some sort of weapon in a pouch, slightly pale. Her thoughts were different than the others. '_Jirobo may have been weak, but that doesn't change the fact that this jonin was more injured before the two fought. How could he have healed? There is no way that wounds could heal that quickly unless…__**' **_

"Sakon, Kidomaru, be careful. He has to have some sort of bloodline." The twos eyes widened, and a feral grin spread across the Jonin's face. Naruto, hidden in the shadows, decided to go with it, making a shadow clone and dismissing it to inform the disguised clone of his idea.

A deep, insane chuckle rose up from deep within the brown haired Jonin, even as all three remaining members in the group paled slightly and gripped weapons, Tayuya bringing a flute to her mouth and Sakon stepping forward.

"Very clever bitch. Yes, I have a rather unique bloodline, the only one of its kind. The more damage I do to you," he grinned, and this time everyone there noticed the fangs now jutting from his mouth.

"The better off I am." Kidomaru, the four-armed man stepped forward, extra arms jutting forth from under his shirt, bringing him up to a total of eight limbs, six of which were arms. Two arms removed the forehead protector from his head, revealing a third eye, even as he pulled out several golden kunai from his mouth.

"You two get going, I'll take care of this guy." Sakon and Tayuya looked at him, Sakon taking the barrel.

"Be careful Kidomaru, don't play around. We don't know how strong this guy really is." The pale-haired man said, before turning around and leaping off into the trees with Tayuya.

A few minutes passed, the Jonin content to simply observe the multi-armed man, and Kidomaru doing the same.

"You will die here Jonin. I hope you put up a good fight." The frightening grin returned, and the last thing Kidomaru ever heard was this.

"I will feast upon your blood knave." Kidomaru's head hit the ground, all three eyes closed in death. Another click was heard as the Jonin poofed away a second time, Naruto looking upon the body of the second foe he had killed today. '_Theatricality and deception are powerful agents. These so called elites are too focused upon a single thing, resulting in their deaths.'_

He was unable to catch up to them at his pace again that night, resulting in the remaining sound two having an uneasy night.

"Kidomaru should have been here by now." Sakon snarled. Tayuya snorted, shaking her head.

"He's most likely dead. That Jonin…there's something about him." Sakon looked at her seriously. Tayuya was the only sensor of the sound four, and despite her foul mouth when she spoke the others listened.

"What did you sense?" She looked at him, eyes bleak.

"Controlled chaos." Sakon snorted.

"Can you be a little less specific?" His amusement was cut off by Tayuya's serious face.

"I mean what I said. His chakra was higher than Jidanbo's, and he had the most chakra of all of us. It was also more dangerous, as if it was containing…something. Something evil and strong. It was like the feeling of the curse seals, but worse than that. Far worse." Sakon frowned, joined by Tayuya, as the two tried to figure out the odd Jonin.

Morning came, and with it was the arrival of Naruto at the campsite. He needed to end this soon. They were heading towards the Valley of the End, and while he was faster than them, he needed to be away from Konoha, which would be tracking this group. It would be better if he killed these two, along with Sasuke, because the less people who knew the direction he was heading in the better.

Two heads snapped towards the edge of the clearing, fear on one and anger upon the other. Sakon tossed the barrel towards Tayuya, who barely caught it. Black marks spread across his skin even as a snarl spread across his face.

"Get going Tayuya. Your powers would catch me in them, so we cannot fight together. I'll go all out from the beginning, he shouldn't be able to hold out for long with my abilities. I'll catch up later." Tayuya nodded towards him, the fear she had been feeling easing. '_Sakon is the strongest of us, and with Udon as his backup thanks to his unique bloodline he should be able to win._' She jumped off, barrel in her arms, knowing that the one inside it should be ready soon.

Sakon didn't have a chance to do anything further as he was bisected at the waist, the last thing Tayuya heard of him was a scream of extreme pain. Naruto, standing in the clearing at this point as his third disguised clone vanished, chuckled to himself. _'Give a shinobi one attacker that seems to be incredibly strong and they devote their sole focus to that foe, thus giving the advantage to those in the shadows.'_

Naruto was off in an instant, hoping to rid himself of the last shinobi before preparing his deception. He could not have any witnesses, nor potential witnesses if he wanted the escape to go of perfectly. This time he was able to catch up fairly quickly, going this time at his full speed rather than letting them stay ahead of him.

He came upon an odd sight, two people around the barrel. Naruto was pretty sure that there was only the red-haired woman left guarding the barrel. That left only one option. '_Reinforcements. Crap.'_ He listened in on the two's conversation.

"Where are the others?" said the nearly albino man to the suddenly pale Tayuya.

"Dead, some Jonin with a bloodline killed them. Sakon was the last…" She was cut off by the pale man glaring at her, moving over and taking the barrel from her.

"Trash, all of you. I don't know why Orochimaru-Sama deigned to teach you if you cannot even kill a single man." He started walking back the way he came, towards the valley of the end.

"I'd advise you killing this Jonin and bringing his head to Orochimaru-Sama, and he may forgive you for your failure to reach him in time. If you manage to survive without killing him…don't come back." Tayuya clenched her fists, nearly drawing blood.

"Hai, Kimimaru." The albino man coughed a few times before vanishing, and Tayuya whirled around to face the area where Sakon died, taking a few minutes to set up several traps. Not that they would do her much good considering that Naruto watching her set them up, but apparently it was the thought that counted. Naruto decided to not bother making his illusion anew, especially seeing as she was now sitting right beneath the tree he was in.

The kill was silent; Tayuya's blood stained the ground even as Naruto cleaned the kunai he used.

Naruto easily caught up with Kimimaru, the other man carrying a barrel and not going his full speed. The albino man put the barrel down as Naruto approached him, turning to face him with an emotionless visage.

"So, you are the Jonin that was able to kill the trash that carried of my masters future body. I will destroy you for interfering." Naruto was silent, icy blue eyes staring unblinkingly at his newest opponent, the only one he wouldn't be able to take down by stealth…not.

A spear rose from the earth underneath the pale man at the speed of natural lighting, and with no sound. Kimimaru was impaled right through, the spear entering through his privates and exiting from his mouth, having no time to even consider creating any kind of defense as his blood spattered the ground. '_That should have exited through the top of his head, destroying his brain. Raising his head to the sky stopped that from happening though._' Naruto took the moment to nod to his shadow clone before it dispelled, allowing him to know just what it had done. A hissing interrupted his musings, causing him to whirl to face the now smoking barrel. Something stepped out, big and with one massive protrusion on each shoulder. These things were already shrinking, and as the smoke cleared they were gone, revealing Uchiha Sasuke, who turned to face him.

The Uchiha grunted, choosing to flee instead of fight. Naruto cocked his head curiously, but prepared to give chase. '**Move!**' the Kyuubi shouted in his mind. Not taking any chances, Naruto substituted with a rock some distance away, seeing as the rock was shattered by for bone shards. His eyes snapped to the pale man, who was miraculously still alive. '_How?'_ Cerulean eyes trailed the gasping man, seeing the slow bleeding from the man's destroyed testicles.

'_He's somehow slowed the bleeding. Considering how many veins and arteries that the earth spear had to penetrate as it pierced through his body, and that's not including the dozens in his balls and penis alone, he should have bled out by now. I know of no way that they could even slow the bleeding like this. Regardless,'_ his eyes swept over the man, who was in obvious pain. '_I give him three minutes, a minute and a half if he fights like this, a minute if I land anymore blows on him before he bleeds out.'_ The pale man spoke, desperation in his voice as he glared at the blond.

"You…w..will not int...interfere with Oro…Orochimaru-sama's am…ambition!" '_I guarantee that that spear ruined his voice box. How in the hell is this guy still alive? This would have been fatal to me!'_ The demonic voice of the Kyuubi rumbled up within him.

"**Actually it wouldn't, at least not immediately. With the level of control the Shodaime helped you gain over my chakra I could heal that injury. Sure, it would take some time, but I could do it. This ningen on the other hand…**" The beast paused, deep in thought.

"**He has to have some sort of bloodline. There is no other explanation, because even to the other Jinchurikki this would be fatal. There has only ever been one event of this sort of thing happening, and that was before the Rikodu Sennin!"** Naruto's inner mind perked up in confusion, but told himself he would get that story from Kyuubi later on. Then something happened that nearly had Naruto's mask shattering at the sheer impossibility of it.

Kimimaru got up. Slowly, obviously painfully, but he was getting up, coughing up blood all the way. Naruto wouldn't let that happen though, and this time he removed the man's head from his body.

"**Ouch, couldn't you of at least allowed him to rise?**" The Kyuubi asked. Naruto shook his head.

'_Do you really think I'm going to let someone tough enough to get up after being impaled right through?_' The beast subsided into grumbling, leaving Naruto free to chase after Sasuke.

'_He's gotten a fair bit faster than I remember, he's easily high chunin. Kakashi did his job well.'_ Naruto thought to himself as he amped up his speed.

'_Well it looks like there will be a second fight in the valley of the end. Of course, this one will be nowhere near as mighty as the first. Why is he running though? I figured that with Sasuke's arrogance he would attack me right off the bat._' Sasuke continued to run, eventually stopping where Naruto had predicted, the Valley of the End.

The Uchiha stopped upon the head of his ancestor, causing Naruto to stop on the head of the Shodaime, preparing several earth techniques and a genjutsu, the genjutsu taking affect in under a minute. Sasuke turned around to face Naruto, a smirk on his face.

"Isn't this fitting Dobe?" _'_**Dobe? Dead Last? Really? Is that the best this ningen could come up with?' **The Kyuubi asked, Naruto silently agreeing with him.

"Isn't it fitting that we meet in combat at the place of legends? Where my ancestor and the Shodaime met in mortal combat, except that this time it shall be the Uchiha to walk away!" '_Is it just me Kyuubi, or is something wrong with him? He's even speaking differently then he was when I last saw him, and it isn't Kakashi's way of speaking. Has whatever Orochimaru has done to him resulted in a personality change?'_ The Kyuubi was silent, puzzling over Sasuke just as his vessel.

"You will fall here Dobe, and I shall continue on to Orochimaru and gain the power to kill Itachi!" '_Why does he insist upon telling me this? I'd be perfectly content to just get to fighting._' Sasuke went through hand seals for the infamous chidori, the lightning charging on his right hand as he braced his wrist with his left.

"Die here today, Dobe!" Sasuke leapt at the blond, two-tomoed Sharingan eyes glaring dangerously at him. He never knew what hit him as the original Naruto chopped him on the back of the neck, the Naruto on the Shodaime's head dissolving into the air. The Kyuubi laughed at the Uchiha.

"**HA! Those Uchiha prided themselves upon their genjutsu, and now one of the last ones is completely unable to even register he's under one!**" Naruto hushed the fox, something playing on the edge of his senses as he placed Sasuke on the ground.

Blood blasted from Naruto's chest as a green-glowing hand pierced it through, a pair of shimmering glasses behind the blond. A silver haired man chuckled as he whispered in the dying blonds ear.

"Sorry Naruto-kun, but Orochimaru-sama wants the Uchiha." Yakushi Kabuto spoke to the dying blond, taking the raven-haired Uchiha and leaving the valley. Blond hair poked up from the river as the body on the ground dissolved into water and the blood vanished into thin air. He smiled to himself, happy for the first time in years as he ran down the river, headed towards freedom and the pleasant peace of being anonymous. It was not to be that easy.

"Naruto!" The blonds eyes widened in horror as he heard the voice of one Hatake Kakashi. '_Damn! I was hoping to be long gone before Tsunade was able to send any reinforcements._' Easily acting as if nothing was wrong, Naruto slowed down and turned to face the silver-haired man.

"Kakashi." He greeted coolly, the other man completely serious as he caught up to Naruto. Kakashi didn't beat around the bush as he immediately asked Naruto about a certain missing Uchiha.

"Where's Sasuke?" Icy blue eyes staring unblinkingly at him were his answer for a moment.

"He got away. Yakushi Kabuto was able to buy Sasuke enough time to cross the border." Naruto was still mentally cursing the man's presence, as Kakashi was quite intelligent enough to put any slip-ups on Naruto's part together. The mere fact that he was here meant that Naruto would most likely wind up fighting them.

"Dammit!" The Cyclops-jonin sighed heavily, one visible eye heavy with sadness. His mind was on his former teammate Obito, thinking of his failures once again.

"Let's go back to Konoha Naruto, Tsunade is going to want to know about this." He turned around, slowly walking on the water, filled with a budding depression. Naruto sighed heavily. '_I suppose I should be honest with him. He deserves that much in return for his help these months, especially all the jutsu he taught me. Who knows, I may even be able to convince him to let me go._'

"I'm not going back Kakashi." The older man stopped cold, horror going through him. '_What?'_ He whirled around, looking at Naruto who was still staring at him, completely emotionless to the world. Kakashi was horrified, afraid of what the council would authorize to hunt for the boy. His head sank. He had no need to ask what the village had done to warrant Naruto fleeing, knowing full well why. He also knew that the village elders, Danzo especially, would not allow this. He knew Naruto would have thought this out, and in just a few seconds realized the boys plan.

'_First solo mission…he was going to fake his death and head to another village! Either one that appreciates Jinchurrikki like Kumo, or one that would leave him alone through fear like Suna. I probably ruined his plan by arriving here…_' an even greater revelation shook him as he looked into those icy eyes. '_He would have killed anyone else.'_ Kakashi's mind tracked everything he could think of in an attempt to decide whether or not he could allow Naruto to leave Konoha. Under any other circumstances he would, but…'_Danzo knows him. Knows him and his abilities, along with his habits and tendencies. Hell, Danzo trained him, and because of that would be able to instruct Root on exactly what to look for.'_ He looked at Naruto again as he nearly bit through his lip.

'_I know Naruto's good, but with the forces of an entire village against him? I can't risk it. I'll take him back, convince him to wait for a more opportune time to flee.'_ He resolved. He knew that if Naruto had decided to leave he would leave, and it would take a miracle for the blond to change his mind. He looked towards his Sensei's son, eyes pleading the boy to see sense.

"Naruto, please, come back to Konoha with me. We can act as if this never happened, and I can help you make a good plan to flee." Naruto shook his head, hand going to the ninjato sheathed at the back of his waist.

"This is the best time, if you hadn't of arrived then it would have been assumed that I fell to Sasuke, and the investigation would have revealed that someone had assassinated me via a wind technique. You arriving has thrown all of this into jeopardy." Naruto sighed, eyes showing sadness for the first time, before freezing right back up.

"I am sorry, Kakashi-Sensei, but if you will not let me go peacefully, I shall have to kill you." Kakashi's eye narrowed as his left hand pushed up his Hi-tae-ate, revealing a scarred and closed eye.

"So that's how it's gonna be, eh? Well then I guess I'll just have to beat some sense into you." The eye opened, revealing the spinning red Sharingan to the world as a poof of smoke announced the appearance of the jonin's own ninjato. Naruto drew his, the steel glinting in the sunlight.

"For what it's worth Kakashi, I don't want to kill you." He said, one last plead to his former mentor. The man's eyes glinted, filled with the power of an S-rank ninja.

"You won't." There were no more words as the fight began instantaneously.

~Break~

Naruto didn't move, didn't even blink, but suddenly there was a wave of Earth blasting towards Kakashi, the sheer force of it culminating into a sonic boom. Kakashi ignored it, charging the boy and running through the swiftly moving wall as if it wasn't even there. Their blades clashed, the power behind the clashing steel causing sparks to fly and ignite the nearby grass in a short-lived flame. Kakashi's fist blasted towards Naruto, easily stopped by the boy's own.

Naruto's knee hit Kakashi's leg, the brief contact and give in the older man's stance all he needed to gain the advantage. The jonin's blade was knocked high as Naruto pulsed chakra from his blade, Kakashi's other hand being thrown to the side as Naruto severed his head.

Naruto spun around in time to block another attack, the severed log falling to the ground behind him. The blond dodged a fist, ninjato moving quickly to deflect a series of high-paced blows from his opponent. Kakashi clashed with Naruto again, initiating a blade lock as he leaned closer to the blond.

"**Katon: Stream"** Fire spewed from Kakashi's mouth in a wide flamethrower, the blue flames reducing a log to cinders.

"You want to bring in Ninjutsu? So be it. **Katon: Chou **(Butterfly)" Sixteen crimson butterflies floated around the two combatants as the blades resumed their dancing. Naruto struck from the left at Kakashi, sliding the full length of his blade across the width of Kakashi's as he danced around the man, winding up behind him as he turned and slashed, landing the first blow.

"Tsk…" Kakashi hissed in pain, moving swiftly to both avoid another blow from Naruto's blade as well as the butterflies, which had suddenly begun flying towards him, every bit as fast Naruto's own movements. '_He's gotten a whole lot faster, and gained even more skill since he started training with Jiraiya. He's probably gotten stronger than me.'_ That thought caused a bittersweet pride within him as he deflected Naruto's blows.

The deadly dance continued, and yet it became increasingly apparent that Kakashi was no match for Naruto in swordplay. They both realized this, had known it to begin with, and as such it was no surprise when Naruto disarmed Kakashi, his blade pointing at the older man's throat.

"It's over Kakashi." The man eye-smiled and said…

"It's never over." A burst of chakra to his limbs allowed Kakashi to perform a move he had long since perfected, utilizing his arm guards to knock Naruto's blade above his head. He kept moving, one palm striking at Naruto's chest and the other attacking his sword arm. It had saved him from a fair few swordsmen.

Naruto blocked the chest strike, easily moving around to avoid the other palm, but that was part of Kakashi's trap. Naruto hadn't caught Kakashi's hand or arm, and he used that to his advantage, his fingers striking Naruto's wrist. Naruto's entire hand was paralyzed for a moment, forcing him to drop his blade. Wary of Kakashi's new style of combat, he leaped back, even as Kakashi kicked his ninjato into the river. Naruto rotated his wrist, having already regained full movement in his hand.

"Gentle Fist," he stated, and Kakashi nodded. '_Figures he would have copied it,_' the blond thought, '_but it is not all that effective against me. I recover too quickly for it to be of use. This only worked because of surprise._' His eyes swept over Kakashi, who was already preparing for the next bout, this time of taijutsu. '_I am slightly stronger and more skilled then he is, and a little bit faster as well. The Sharingan he possesses negates all of those. That, when combined with his creativity, experience, and adaptability make him a serious threat for all but the strongest of shinobi. Despite his opinion to the contrary I do believe that Kakashi could match a Sannin level opponent for some time. And in this it's all he needs to do. Tsunade wouldn't send a Jonin with Kakashi's medical history out by himself, which means that there is a team of at least one medic and one escort on the way. He should know this as well, and knows that I can't fight for all that long. _

_ Kakashi made it clear that he would cover for me, and we're both good enough sensors to catch a team long before they arrive. And yet…'_ the memory of the event that had finally pushed him over the edge this month flashed before his eyes, hardening his resolve. He sighed heavily. '_I refuse to go back. I guess I need to go all out then. I'm sorry Kakashi.'_ He entered his stance, arms up and ready to deal with Kakashi. The man moved, invisible to all but the best of shinobi, but Naruto easily matched him, and then…surpassed him. Kakashi's eyes widened as Naruto's fist broke several ribs, the brutal attack continuing as he stomped the man's calf and kicked him several meters back after that. Kakashi entered a great deal of pain, and it didn't stop there.

He had no time to react as he was beaten across the battlefield, the boy a blur even to his Sharingan eye. '_What the fuck?'_ he thought as he was kicked so hard blood blasted from his mouth. '_Did he open up the gates? Gai's the only one I know that can do this sort of thing to me!'_ Kakashi was finally allowed a moment's break, and as he took a breath he nearly lost an eye. Only instincts honed over years of war saved his only remaining natural eye from being destroyed outright. Even then the eye would still be useless for a while. He leapt back, right eye shut and bleeding. He saw Naruto staring at him, those icy cerulean eyes staring straight to his soul.

The sound of a thousand birds filled the air as electricity crackled, held in the hand of a shinobi. A red eye glared, the other eye shut and bleeding from a light scratch over it. The shinobi yelled at the man across from him.

"Naruto! Stop this foolishness, please! If you just come back now we can forget that this ever happened. Please Naruto, Konoha will hunt you down if you leave like this!" The blond man said nothing as a blue orb formed in his left hand, fire soon spinning out of it. Kakashi looked on hopelessly as Naruto easily showed something that Namikaze Minato had never been capable of.

"One final chance Kakashi!" Naruto said as the orb span faster, nine tails of fire whirling around it. Kakashi nearly cried, blood dripping from his Sharingan eye. '_I'm sorry Sensei, Rin, Jiraiya, Naruto. It seems as though Naruto really will kill me for his freedom…not that he deserves anything less.'_

"**Raikiri! **(Lightning Blade)" Kakashi's mightiest Jutsu crackled in his hand as he leaped at Naruto, the boy jumping to meet him.

"**Rasengan: Nine Tails of the Kyuubi!"** A great fiery fox formed behind Naruto, the nine tails of the Rasengan connecting to it, roaring in rage at any who dared to challenge it. The two jutsu met in mid-air, and it was immediately clear which was superior.

Naruto gave a light smirk to Kakashi as the man poured every ounce of chakra he had into his jutsu, and it made no difference in the clash. Kakashi was steadily pushed back, nothing but sadness in his eyes.

Naruto smiled at him, and ended his Rasengan.

Kakashi's eye widened in horror as his Raikiri destroyed the blonds heart, Naruto's dying smile being etched into his memory even as blood poured from his Sharingan eye, an odd pinwheel forming in it for a brief moment. Kakashi ended the jutsu, holding his former student close as Naruto's last, whispered words reached his ear.

"Don't…regret…this." Crimson tears fell from Kakashi's eyes, heedless of his injuries as he howled his grief to the world.

Kakashi stood after some time, still staring at the fallen body of the boy, and went to pick him up, only to be stopped by something. Crimson chakra flared, forming into the image of a fox and devouring the body of the boy in front of the Jonin's disbelieving eyes. '_No…I can't even…bury him…'_ Kakashi's mind nearly shut down as the last of the former blonds body crumbled to ash, the chakra vanishing into the air.

Kakashi walked away in a trance, eventually regaining enough control to mindlessly run, to flee from the area in which he fought Naruto as the tears continued to fall, not to stop for a long time.

A blond head rose from the mud, a bitter-sweet smile on his face, and turned towards the ocean, flying free.


	25. Chapter 25

Naruto smiled freely for the first time in his life as he ran to the sea. Despite traumatizing his former mentor for life with a Genjutsu and a clone Naruto had never felt happier. He was free, able to choose his own life and not be persecuted for merely existing. All in all, it was a great day for Naruto. Regardless of what was ahead, he would eagerly meet it head on. Of course, the fox inside him always had to ruin the moment by asking pesky questions.

"**Why didn't you kill that ningen?" **The Kyuubi boomed at him, never quite able to understand his vessels way of doing things.

"**It would have been so much simpler to just get rid of him, and don't even bother saying that it was your affection towards him that stopped you. Both you and I know that if it meant your freedom you would have killed even Jiraiya in an instance, especially seeing as that village killed your little Kitsune-chan.**" The Kyuubi didn't mean anything by it, simply stating a fact, but it brought Naruto's mind back to "his little Kitsune-Chan."

As the name suggested she had been a fox, just a small kit in fact. He found her not long after his long talk with the Shodaime, lying in the blood of her killed parents. He had been attracted to herby the shouts of some group of street thugs, and he helped the little kit out b y cleaning it up and healing her few wounds. The little critter just attached herself to him after that, and it wasn't long before the cute ball of fluff and love wormed her way into even Naruto's icy heart. There were some animals that could just make you love them, such as dogs or in this case foxes. Naruto had spent the better part of the month caring for her, and the fox repaid his care with an outpouring of single-hearted love, as only an animal could, something Naruto had never experienced before.

Kitsune-Chan had gone everywhere with Naruto, not just because he didn't like being separated from her either. Naruto knew quite well what happened to any fox that was found in Konoha. Torture and death.

Predictably that happened to his little kit, just three days before this mission in fact. His little fox had been chasing a butterfly, the sheer cuteness of it actually getting a chuckle from Naruto. That had surprised him more than anything else, and that surprise allowed his little pet to turn a corner. Naruto had walked around the corner to see his little Kitsune-Chan's broken body under the boot of a laughing Inazuka, not even ten seconds later. Naruto didn't remember much of what happened next, but by the time his haziness cleared the biggest piece of the Jonin left was one pinky finger.

That had been the final straw for Naruto. Even though he had already been planning to flee Konoha, he had been willing to wait and plan. When the one of the few things you care about is maliciously destroyed by a laughing member of the same village you are, well, Naruto got more than a little impatient. He shook himself from his memories, answering the Kyuubi.

_'I was going to kill him at first, and it was only about the time I realized that there would be other Shinobi coming after Kakashi that I changed my plan. I didn't particularly want to scar him, but I had no choice in the matter. However, if you were to see a well-known reliable Jonin, with an insurance against Genjutsu claiming that a shinobi was dead, who would you believe? This Jonin who is telling you that he killed the boy, and has the memory for the Yamanakas to confirm, or the murmerings of discontent by one or two members?'_ The Kyuubi nodded to itself, now understanding. He would believe the Jonin over the one or two members, no matter how respected those two were.

Naruto was making good time, but it would be three days until he got to the area he wanted to get to by running. Naruto wanted to get as far away from Konoha as possible, as soon as possible, and as such summoned a hawk, heading straight for Kirigakure. He could get lost in the mist there, changing everything about himself in order to disappear. His golden eyes gleamed , now a near permanent affect, so as to avoid the sight of the all to recognizable cerulean blue. Those who knew about his golden eyes were few, and would no longer be looking for him.

The large hawk he had summoned flew high into sky, high enough that even the sharpest of Shinobi eyes would think it no more than a regular hawk even as he tried to decide upon his disguise. The Kyuubi spoke up again, its vast experience coming in handy.

"**I have an idea Naruto, and it involves the story you wished to hear.**" That caught Naruto's attention, the only story Kyuubi had that he wanted to listen to was the mention from earlier with Kimimaru. '_Even with the hawk flying we still have several hours spare, so go ahead and tell me.'_ The giant fox yawned, and Naruto got the image of it stretching before getting comfortable.

(This is all the Kyuubi speaking. I am not doing it in bold because I've found that large amounts of bold in a single session gets hard to read.)

"As you know, this happened before the Rikodu Sennin himself. In fact, I only know it because in my early years I had a love for history, and once the man died I devoured every bit of written word of the period before he brought peace with an extreme passion, figuratively of course. Before the Six Paths Sage brought a shallow peace to this land, it was in continuous war between Samurai tribes. There was a different name for the land itself as well, a name which has been lost to all but myself. This land was once called Japan.

Due to the severe war not many records survived, but two that did talked about two men in particular, two gods amongst men who, in my opinion, would be a match for the Sennin himself." Naruto gasped, unable to help himself. The Sage of Six Paths was the only SSS-Rank Shinobi in history, having mastered Every Element, in addition to his own bloodline, the Rinnegan.

"Yukimura Sanada, The Crimson Tide, and Hanzo Hattori, the Demon's Shadow." Clouds boiled above Naruto, black thunderclouds rolling in at the mere names alone, practically _roaring_ with power.

"These two were legends, and while I do not know there entire story, I do know that they were gods amongst men.

Now, according to what I learned, while the Sage was the first to master the use of Chakra, it was first discovered in this time. Many people could use bits and pieces of it, pushing them far above their peers with unique abilities. Of course, they believed that it was those blessed by the gods, but I know of several names and their skills.

Shingen Takeda, The Great Tactician, reknowned throughout the world for his great mind and his perfect accuracy for what the conditions of the battlefield would be. I believe this was a mild chakra sensing, but this man was famous for his mind more than anything else, and was the original lord of Yukimura.

Nobunaga Oda, the very first man to be called a demon. Darkness itself answered his call, and it seemed as if the heavens themselves favored him. He nearly conquered the land with a sword, glowing in a purple aura. The first bloodline, and I believe the man was able to channel chakra into his weapons.

Keji Maeda, the God of War. Wielding a great battle-pike this man obliterated all before him with massive waves of pure energy and his skill.

Kunoichi, the only woman I could find, and the other Ninja. This woman was Hanzo's rival, and she was so skilled and powerful that the Sage, after learning of her, deemed that all female ninja would be named after her. I'm not sure of her powers, but I do know that she fought Hanzo to several draws, which you will soon find made her incredibly strong.

Now for Yukimura. With an armor that was originally brown to show his pride in his lords land, his entire armor, along with a white headband that he was never without, were stained a permanent red in his first real battle. The man shed so much blood during his time that on the land in which he did battle, nothing grows. It has since been named The Land of Demons, and you know it because it is famous for not growing anything, with an odd reddish soil. When Yukimura entered a battlefield it was no longer a battle, it became a massacre.

His abilities were many and varied, and yet only a few of them relied upon chakra at all. He could send out blades of his signature crimson, even summon a pure wave of it, and that along with the sheer force of him in battle earned his title, because when Yukimura was with you, it was as if the Oceans mighty tide was in your favor.

Hanzo Hattori, the head of a legendary clan of ninja. I know far more about him, as most of the scrolls were ones that he wrote, in an attempt to pass on his knowledge to a worthy successor.

He was a master of the kusarigama, wielding it with immense skill and strategy. He could move shadows with his will, and was never seen unless he wished to be seen. He was so fast that most people could only see a black blur, followed by the red spray of blood. He created the shunshin, as it is recorded that he was quite often seen with leaves swirling around him, especially right after he killed. As if this wasn't enough he could jump to immense heights, and always seemed to be everywhere at once.

Hanzo was a dark, serious person, which is why I believe that you could mimic him. He believed that it was a shadows job to protect their master, and he believed that a ninja, or shadow as he called himself, could only fight to their fullest at the behest of their masters, and it was through this that your little Shinobi Village ideal came to exist. I know for a fact that a scroll containing his opinions was in the great Senju library before it was destroyed, and considering Hashirama read _everything_ in there, he undoubtedly knows about it.

Anyways, Hanzo and Yukimura were so feared because they were at the very brink of human limitations. Sure, they had chakra, and could use a bit of it, but what they could use is nothing compared to even a genin. Every genin knows the principle behind expelling waves of chakra or helping shadows cover you. However, Hanzo and Yukimura were gods because they achieved through hard work what shinobi achieve through massive amounts of chakra.

Of course, when there are two incredibly skilled soldiers, and both serve a different man, a clash is inevtible. I know not the full details of the fight, but what I do know makes Kimimaru's little achievement look like nothing.

Hanzo and Yukimura met in combat, the Samurai being severely injured, to the point where he nearly died, and would of soon died of his injuries. However, he spit Hanzo upon his spear like a pig, from throat to right above his rear. He left the spear in the man, stumbling around long enough to grab a new one before turning to strike down Hanzo's lord. He was impaled upon his own spear.

In a final bout of devotion, Hanzo ripped the spear from his nearly dead body and used it to impale his foe, and Yukimura's brains splattered Hanzo's lord."

(For those who recognized my refrences, no, I do not own Samurai Warriors.)

Kyuubi fell silent, and Naruto absorbed all of this, only to turn incredulous. '_I was under the impression you were telling me a story. That was just a history lesson.' _The Kyuubi seemed sheepish for a moment, before saying

"**Sorry, but it would seem I was wrong. It was never a story, just a little bit of what I know.**" Naruto smirked mentally at him, before turning thoughtful.

'_A ninja can only grow as strong as they can if they have someone to serve hmm? I wonder…'_ He shrugged to himself, returning to plotting his disguise. '_Hanzo reincarnated is out, I can't weild a Kusarigama. However…I can use his name and personality. It is close enough to mine that I can use it. Now I just need clothing.'_ Naruto began to change, but the first thing he did was something he should have done some time ago.

He untied the Leaf Hi-Tae-Ate from head, its black band falling from his head as he held the metal, looking at the symbol. He drew a kunai, slashing through the center of it, making the sign of a missing ninja. Then the melted it, the molten metal solidifying on the long way down to the ground.

One of the various Haori he had always worn was sealed away, Naruto thanking the creator of seals for being such a genius, espically as if he hadn't of had fuinjutsu the coat would have been flowing every way in a battle, and quite possibly the wrong way. Thanks to his seals he was able to avoid that happening. The standard black tunic and pants remained however, being common enough in every village for him to easily get away with wearing what he was most comfortable with.

Brown dye, shinobi standard issue, only leaving the wearers hair when a certain handsign was made and chakra was added, and it could only be dispelled by the wearer. That turned his sun-kissed blond hair to a much more common brown now, complimenting his now golden eyes.

A blank ANBU-style mask covered his face, seals painted on the inside allowing for several benefits that normal masks didn't, such as the fact that he was the only one who could remove this mask, something that would be incredibly helpful later on. After he finished, the Kyuubi cut in with another question.

"**Why did you choose Kiri?"**

'_Kiri is currently in a civil war, and that will allow me to gain anonymity. Based on the information from my hawk spies, the rebel side is currently deadlocked with the forces of the Mizukage. Based on what they've seen they are pretty sure that the rebels are going to win, and besides that I wouldn't join the side of the Mizukage anyways. I can easily prove my worth in stealth during this war, and gain a decent position in Kiri's ANBU. That will allow me to build up funds, seeing as a recovering village will by necessity take higher ranked missions in order to bring in money, and higher ranked missions pay off more money. Along with that, ANBU are hidden, nameless and faceless. A small excuse on how I don't like showing off scars will ensure I never need to show my face. If I can gain the trust of the rebel leader I will be able to go without anyone really questioning me. Even still I will have to restrain myself to low S-rank at the best.'_ The Kyuubi nodded inside the seal, and Naruto focused on fixing the holes in his figurative mask.

~Break~

Kakashi stumbled into a bar, ordering a full bottle of Sake rather than the cup most people did. What friends he had watched helplessly as the broken jonin drank bottle after bottle of Sake, not stopping until he finally came close to dying from alcohol poisoning. When Shizune asked him why he had done something so stupid when he woke up a week later, he looked at her with a shattered eye and told her, self-hatred evident in his every movement and word.

It would be a full year before something happened to pull the legendary Copy-Nin from his depression.


	26. Chapter 26

Terumi Mei looked at the sky, dark and scattered stars filling her vision as her mind wondered just how this could have happened.

The red-head had been on a standard patrol mission, considering how short on shinobi the rebellion was every hand was needed for even the most basic things, like patrols such as the one she was on. Despite not holding any land, the Rebellion was still based in Water country, and as such needed to patrol the land around their base constantly to ensure the Mizukage's forces could not sneak up upon them.

She had gone alone, for both a legitimate reason and because of a touch of arrogance on her part. After all, other than Yagura himself no shinobi in water country could match her. Her actual reason was two-fold. The logical and legitimate reason was because they couldn't spare the shinobi to run two-person patrols, and as such when there was someone as strong as her they ran the patrols alone to save time.

Despite that rule her "generals", and she used the term loosely, didn't like her leaving the base alone. Fortunately it wasn't because she was a woman, otherwise her generals would find their balls melted off, but rather because if she died the rebellion would swiftly fall. She was the strongest, and their only hope of defeating Yagura after all. Regardless, it was irritating. The rebel base was cramped and stuffy, and Mei had had a wishing for the open air, and as such she had gone on patrol. That had proved to be a mistake.

She was on the edge of the rebel occupied area, and it was then that they struck. Two high A-rank missing ninja, hired by Yagura to assassinate her. Considering she was pushing mid-kage herself, that wouldn't be such a big deal. But the two had pulled from the seemingly endless supply of bandits with a full fifty of them. Once again, normally not a problem for her, even with such superior numbers, and even with two A-rank ninja she would be able to win. Not without some effort, but she would be able to do so without an undue amount of trouble.

So why was it she was currently up against a cliff, bleeding from four different severe wounds? Well, it was rather simple. There was a traitor in the rebel compound. Not really much more of an explanation, considering when she tried to dodge an attack she was barely able to move, getting her first injury. Then it was the second not long afterwards, followed by the third and fourth before she managed to get out of there. Considering she had no knowledge of what she had been poisoned with, she could only pray that it would wear off before she passed out from blood loss, or they found her. Whichever came first. She never thought that she would become a damsel in distress, but she really hoped someone came across her, other than the ones hunting her.

"There you are! You've given us a nice little chase, but now it's time to give it up whore!" She sighed mentally. Of course they would find her. '_Every god damn time! Do they have some sort of tracker on me?'_ She sighed, once again turning her gaze skyward. She saw something odd, three hawks circling around above her. '_Odd. I thought it was the buzzards that were attracted to death? Oh well my feathered friends, if you were hoping for a feast, I'm afraid that these men will disappoint you. They intend to take me alive, most likely rape me, and then take my broken body to Yagura so that they can get paid.' _She took a deep breath before stepping away from the cliff, ready to face her death with dignity.

~Break~

Naruto looked down, his golden eyes refined via chakra to the point of allowing him to zoom in from above so long as he had a point of focus.

"Do you see them Naruto?" Takami asked, the formerly small summon showing off his massive real size. Takami was actually as big as the other two hawks circling around with them, about the height of a single story house. Naruto shrugged that aside and paid closer attention to the group below.

Fifty-two men and a single, injured woman, red hair for some strange reason. '_That's two in as many days. It's not that common a color is it?'_ He thought to himself. He replied to his summon, eyes still focused on the group.

"I can make out the numbers and hair color, along with the color of their clothes. My eyes are not good enough to make out the other details." The hawk nodded, jostling Naruto slightly.

"That is the rebel leader, Mei Terumi." Naruto stared incredulously through his mask at the hawk.

"Impossible." The hawk glared up at him through one eye, the other remaining on the group as they circled around it.

"Impossible eh? And what makes you say that?" Naruto channeled more chakra to his eyes, a small drop of blood falling from the left one as he strained his eyes past their limits.

"The leader of a rebellion is an important person, important enough that they should only take to the field in dire circumstances, or there is something going on that requires their personal attention. It's the same sort of thing with a Kage, or any leader for that matter. While leading by example is all well and good, if you do something stupid like go off by yourself this sort of thing can easily happen. I would like to think that the leader of the rebels of Kiri would be intelligent enough to avoid this sort of thing. And that's not including the little fact that this seems just a little bit too convenient. "

"Maybe she just needed to get away from everything for a little while. It would certainly explain why she's so close to Konoha." Naruto hummed in thought before sighing.

"Regardless, I can't just go on my way and take the chance that she's not the rebel leader. I also have a valid excuse here, rather than finding their base where I will undoubtedly be questioned heavily. If I go in with her, it may just be a little less." Takami smirked, well as much as a hawk could smirk anyways.

"Well then, make an impression Naruto!" A dark aura seemed to leak out of the now brown-haired man.

"I intend to."

And Naruto overbalanced, falling over the shoulder of the hawk and towards the ground below.

"**Ninpou: Strike and Bind!"**

~Break~

Mei honestly wasn't sure what just happened. She had strode forward, intending to meet her death with dignity by using a suicide technique she had been preparing, which fortunately required no hand seals, otherwise she wouldn't be able to perform it, when the screech of a hunting hawk was heard. It was all the warning the group was allowed before he struck.

She had taken one final look at the sky, and seen a falling figure. The harsh cry startled her, especially as all three of the hawks formerly up there were gone now. When he hit the ground, the affect was beyond mere words to describe, but she needed to form some evidence of the man's skills, so she would try anyways.

Head first he rocketed towards the ground, she saw his lips move slightly as he flipped, mere feet from the ground, his feet now slamming into the ground. There was silence for a second, before a massive shockwave blasted all around him, dust exploding into being as a large part of the ground beneath him was simply obliterated. The shockwave launched every single bandit into the air as the cry of a hawk was heard once again, somehow piercing through the rest of the noise. The man vanished, even as hawks appeared beside bandits, latching on to them with what seemed like all the force of the man's fall, shattering most of their bones and even causing some of the weaker bandits to explode from sheer force.

The only two out of the group who had managed to keep their feet had been the two shinobi, and in the dust she saw them die, blood spraying from them, but no visible wound until several seconds later as a click was heard in the now silent clearing.

Mei looked on, stunned, as the hawks vanished as easily as they came, no smoke to denote summons, and the man walked over to her, hands glowing green. She tried to shrink away, but the blood loss was getting to her at last. He spoke up, voice quite and deep.

"Stay still, you'll only aggravate your injuries." He briefly scanned each injury with the glow, before focusing on the most serious. She spoke up this time, her own voice weak even to her ears.

"What…why?" He shushed her with a look, Mei feeling the fear that all shinobi fear of ticking off a healer.

"Sit down first, and then I'll explain." He helped her sit down, the adrenaline in her wearing off and leaving her quite weak, fully at the mercy of this strange brown-haired man.

"I've been hunting those two ninja for a while now. I've never had a chance to take them down until now, seeing as you were being very good bait." She was too weak to snap at him, so she settled for a growl. She sensed that he was slightly amused by that.

"Seeing as you were so good at that, I thought that I would heal you. I don't see a forehead protector; perhaps you would consider joining me? I could always use a distraction in my line of work. Besides that, the little lava you managed to conjure seemed quite powerful, even if you could only get very little of it out." The man had been healing her as he talked, and once the blood pill he forced down her throat took affect she started to feel better, and think a bit more clearly. She took a closer look at him, focusing on things that had passed her by when she was unable to concentrate.

A simple black ensemble, dull grey arm and shin guards, and a few other scattered pieces of armor covered tan skin. A blank ANBU mask covered his face, but there was brown hair visible above that. Then other observations that she had unconsciously made came to the forefront. Despite the light teasing tone in his voice, there was something behind it, not dangerous, but…it was as if something was missing from him.

Meanwhile Naruto was returning the favor, getting his first proper look at the woman he had saved. Luscious ankle-length red hair styled in a herringbone pattern, one bang covering her right eye, two others dipping down around her neck and the last curving slightly under her left eye, a shining emerald skin was covered by a long blue dress, rather low cut, under her breasts in fact, but they were covered by mesh armor, even if that still revealed a fair bit of cleavage. Of course, said dress was rather cut up, revealing significantly more than it should from the various injuries she had sustained, and the near misses, but Naruto was ignoring that.

Mei was still all over the place mentally; even if she was regaining her functions, one does not fully recover from severe blood loss that easily. While she could focus somewhat, she was nowhere near her normal level of functioning. This left her easy prey to a slight genjutsu from Naruto, which brought out and enhanced an idea she already had.

"Ah…no, I am afraid that I cannot join you. I have something that I have to do. Perhaps you could help me with that though. After all, I can guarantee you a safe place to stay after it is done." '_If he is a traveling mercenary as I suspect he is, considering the lack of Hi-Tae-Ate, he should be tired of being attacked by missing ninja trying to make easy payment. The fact that he's hunting A-rank ninja means that he has some skill at least, even if he isn't good enough to take on two A-Ranks by himself. However, he was able to kill them all by ambush, with hawks. We need someone stealth like that. All the original ANBU serve the Mizukage. Of course we couldn't really expect otherwise could we? If ANBU betrayed the Kage it would defeat the entire purpose of their existence.'_

"And why should I bother with settling down? I quite like my little life, living in the shadows, not having to answer to anyone's authority.I'm sure that whatever you have to offer cannot match up to that." '_The genjutsu should easily be taking affect by now. She will feel the need for a certain set of skills, especially now that I've found evidence of that poison in her body. My little genjutsu will prey upon her need to have someone she can trust, and according to what she knows my current loyalty can be bought. And we all know that good ninja do not bite the hand that pays them.'_

Mei held her head in her hands, groaning mentally. '_I am not up to negotiating with someone right now…still…with an unknown traitor in the rebel forces, I need someone outside the group that I can trust. He's a mercenary, I will be able to pay him once the rebellion ends, and we win. Normally I wouldn't bother, but our forces get ripped apart by people who have been trained for stealth. If he dies, well I won't have to pay him, so no loss. On the other had…if he is good with stealth, he should be able to find our little traitor. Perhaps they might even approach him in an attempt to hire his services.'_ All of this took her several minutes to puzzle her way through, when usually it would only take her keen mind a few seconds.

"I'm willing to pay you." She said, still holding her throbbing head. She had just figured out that she hated looking at a blank mask. In addition to not being able to see the wearer's reactions, it was also making her headache worse. The man placed a green-glowing hand on her head, easing off her headache. She sighed in relief.

"We'll talk about that later. You aren't going anywhere for a few days." Mei's head snapped up, a protest clear upon her face, only to be cut off by him talking first.

"Even if you had a better healer you would still not be moving for at least the next twenty-four hours, and you're lucky it's not worse. Unless you feel like reopening those wounds you are going to stay sitting." She stared at him for several seconds before talking again.

"I can't, I have to get back, they will be looking for me." The man shook his head, sitting down as well.

"Good luck with that. I think you might make it a mile before those things open from the stress, even if you're just walking. Of course, do it if you wish, I will not stop you, but you will do no good to anyone the way you are now." She growled again, but this time it was at her helplessness, and her inability to move. So now she was stuck with someone she didn't know, had never seen before, and the only bit of info that she had on him was one attack, his summons group, and the fact that he was a mercenary. She settled in, resigned to a wait, but also trying to set herself up for an interrogation.

"You never told me your name." she stated, beginning her questioning with a simple one, one she should have asked earlier.

"Hanzo." He said, voice still mostly emotionless. She had noticed that other than the occasional tone of emotion the man's voice was mostly emotionless.

"Hanzo…" she tasted the name, one she had never heard before. Their was no way to tell if he was lying, so she would have to rely upon other methods to see if he was a spy for the Mizukage.

"And yours?" he asked.

"Mei." He nodded, as if confirming something.

"The head of the revolution of the Mist, I'm honored." He said; that slight mocking tone returning.

"You have heard of me?" she asked cautiously, preparing herself incase she needed to melt him. She was caught off guard by a slight, humorless chuckle coming from inside the mask.

"One cannot enter the Elemental Nations without hearing of the Kiri Rebellion, and one cannot be in Kiri long without hearing of its powerful leader. You are well known, well-liked, and also reputed to be kage-level. I guess that explains the poison I found in your system." Mei relaxed, releasing the chakra she had built up. She still stayed on edge, but it was not as much as before. Naruto grew a bit irritated at that, but shrugged it off, knowing that her mind had unconsciously dispelled his genjutsu, even if the affects still lingered.

"I see. Then you know what it is I ask of you." Mei watched him nod before responding.

"You wish me to join your little rebellion. Considering you have just met me, I find myself wondering why." A second genjutsu, even more insidious then the first played on what insecurities the woman had now, causing her to spill her worries to him. This was as far as he would go though, because once she had finished his place in the rebellion would be assured. She would not be able to afford anything else.

Mei sighed, her worries and fears had been piling up for years, even before the rebellion had started. She looked at him. Her instincts, or in this case Naruto'sgenjutsu, were telling her she could trust this man, and she really did need someone to talk to, just be completely honest with and be herself with. Under normal circumstances she wouldn't have _dreamed_ of doing anything remotely similar to this, but thanks to the genjutsu and her injuries her common sense was a little lacking.

"A myriad of reasons to begin?"

"How about at the beginning?" And despite the all too common answer, she did, going all the way back to before the rebellion.

"If you are to truly understand why I want you to join, you need to know what you would be fighting for." Most mercenaries wouldn't, and she knew this, but Mei retained enough of her usual mind to know that she would not be able to allow him to leave after this, and as such endeavored to convince him to stay. The nod she received encouraged her a little, making her hope that he would not become a security threat to her revolution.

"It began a few months after our YondaimeMizukage, Yagura of the Ocean, took office. He is the current Jinchurriki for the three-tailed tortoise, and as that beast is the most peaceful and calm of the Biju, so to wasYagura the calmest of our shinobi. He was a peaceful soul, preferring to simply meditate in his favorite clearing alone then deal with the trials and trouble of the Kage position, but the elders wished a change from the village's reputation as "The Bloody Mist." Yagura had always been a strong opponent against the practice that was common in our academy, of causing graduating students to kill their best friend. In fact one of the things he promised to do was rid us of that practice."

She smiled, remembering the small Kage fondly.

"So gentle and kind, but then everything changed. Yagura received a report from one of his ANBU, a fox-masked man with spiky black hair. The man with that mask left, and was never seen again, but he left a lasting legacy. It was small changes at first, a strict edict here and an extra tax there in the name of village security. That was nothing special, but I could see the slow changes in him. His eyes, once a warm and caring brown became dark, losing that spark of kindness they had always held. No one else suspected anything, but I had been friends with him for some time, and could see it." She sighed, low with sadness.

"I wish that I had done something, tried to help him more. I tried many things, attempted to fix whatever was ailing him, but to no avail. By the time the dispute over whether or not to keep the practice that named us the Bloody Mist came up it had become obvious to me that he was sliding down a slippery path to dictator ship.

That day proceeded as planned at first, the two sides came up and presented their arguments, and it was clear which one we should have gone with. I saw something that day, something that makes me believe he is under some sort of control or genjutsu.

There was a struggle within him, as clear to me as you are now. He agonized over his decision for sometime, eyes going dark, warming up again, but finally whatever darkness is inside him won out. The practice stayed, and while his reasons were logical, it still surprised everyone. I think that was the day I first got the idea for a rebellion.

It became evident soon after that just how much he had changed because of whatever is influencing him. The once kind and happy man became cruel and dark, imposing rules and regulations that even Iwa would deem extreme. All too soon came the blood-line massacre.

I'm still not sure how long he had been preparing it, but I do know that this civil war truly started on September Sixth, roughly ten years ago." She paused as Naruto evaluated her. She couldn't have been older than thirty-seven, probably closer to thirty-five. She would have to have been just entering her twenties when all of this started. '_So what was her relationship with Yagura? Not lovers considering the age but…a mentor perhaps. Some sort of father or older brother figure.'_

"The first I knew of it was when myself and the remaining swordsmen of the mist were gathered in a show of force by Yagura. We left, along with a large force of shinobi, and wound up near a blood-line clan home. These were the Yuki, a clan of Ice-using shinobi who had always been loyal to Kiri. We were ordered to massacre them. Three swordsmen of the remaining five stayed their blades in shock along with myself, but the remaining two and the army destroyed the clan home. Not a single member was left alive when they were done.

Zabuza, Kisame, and Jinin nearly attacked Yagura, staying their hands only because I stopped them. As strong as they are, even they would fall before Yagura and the army, especially with the other two members fighting beside him. I gave a reason as to why we didn't join the massacre, saying that if so many high-level shinobi were to join in attacking a single clan it would spread rumors that Yagura feared them. He accepted that reason, and allowed us to return. Jinin and Zabuza screamed at me for stopping them once we got a good distance away, but the now calm Kisame, strongest of the group, shut them up easily and explained why I did it.

Kisame immediately began planning with me. We couldn't let this go unpunished. Yagura had officially gone mad, and even if he was controlled by something else we would still need to end him, to give justice to those who had died. Did you know that it was actually Kisame who was supposed to lead the rebellion? We were evenly matched at that time, and I had no desire to have the weight of a nation falling upon my shoulders. He, on the other hand, was not only willing, but eager. Kisame was a strong believer in Kiri, and believed that in order for it to thrive the village must be unified. What Yagura was doing would only result in a long and bloody war.

Not a month later I noticed a change in Kisame. Where once he had been eager and passionate, now he was almost depressed. He never responded to my queries on what was wrong, but I had my suspicions. I believed then, and still do to this day, that the man who is controlling Yagura paid Kisame a visit as well, for his eyes now held the same darkness. It was not as pronounced however, which makes me think that Kisame could be brought back under the right conditions.

I couldn't trust Kisame anymore, and not to long after that Zabuza failed an assassination attempt against Yagura, resulting in him fleeing from Kiri. Kisame was chased out by Yagura soon after. With my only remaining ally, Jinin, I began crafting the bones of the revolution.

The first that I recruited are my generals now, those who had blood-lines or spoke out against Yagura, those who I knew would be the next to be killed. All too soon Yagura's madness continued, affecting the entire country with an anti-bloodline fervor. I lost my advisory position, and soon enough it was my clan being massacred.

Not too long after that Jinin and I were able to start the rebellion, but it was at the cost of his life. Yagura somehow discovered our plan, and while we had few, we were all some of the stronger shinobi around. Jinin proved just why he was a member of the swordsmen though, taking down Jinpachi of the Heartless pair before falling to the other member, Kushimaru.

From there our numbers have only grown, but at every turn we have been outmatched and outnumbered by Yagura's forces. His elite ANBU outmatch us at every turn, taking what gains we get and destroying them.

Beyond that, it seems like half of the recruits we get are traitors. Yagura knows our every move, our every base, our every plan. And everyday those few people, both with and without blood-lines, who stay in the village are abused and degraded, if not executed." She had been strong for the entire the entire story, but now a tear made its way down her cheek.

"I just received word that the last of my clan, my parents, were killed." Another tear fell, followed by another, and soon Mei was crying, shedding the tears that had been building up since the day Yagura changed. She nearly collapsed, stopped only by the arms of the mercenary, who held her as she cried. Neither knew just how long she cried, but by the time she had finished it had gotten light again, having been the middle of the night when she started.

Red-rimmed green eyes looked up at Naruto from his shoulder, and Naruto for the first time felt guilt. It was an odd sensation to him, having never experienced it before. '_Dammit Jiraiya.'_ He thought. Naruto hadn't thought that the man had affected him that much. A shinobi simply couldn't afford to have anything remotely resembling guilt. It could paralyze them, cause them to freeze during a kill. Jiraiya had, despite Naruto attempting to force him to be serious, done his very best to both pervert Naruto, as well as humanize him. Between Danzo and the constant kills, Naruto had crafted his battle-mode to stay on permanently, but somehow the fact that he had been the driving force behind this woman's tears was tearing at him inside.

"Thank-you." She said voice raw from her tears. Naruto did not know exactly what she was thanking him for, whether him holding her or being a sympathetic ear, but he nodded anyways. She separated from him, something inside her gone now. Everyone was weak at some point, and at that point they need someone to support them. For Mei, that point had just passed, and much to her shame, it had been with someone she barely knew, and could have easily killed her during that time. She breathed lightly for some time, attempting to fully recover before continuing.

"If you do join us, and I hope you do, you will be fighting to save the lives of practically everyone in the Land of Water. As I'm sure you know, the Daimyo's wealth and land are tied directly to their shinobi village, and with our current weakness we are vulnerable. I am willing to pay you what you wish, within reason, whether it is Yen (money) or if it's a position that you are suitable for once this war is over." She fell into silence, hoping that this man would agree. She could not afford to let him live otherwise.

Naruto was silent for a long time, in fact the sun was fully up before he answered her, plenty of time for her to get nervous and prepare to kill him.

"I shall fight beside you."


	27. Chapter 27

Shadowy flames licked at still bleeding skeletons, a black dome covering the field as far as the eye could see, twenty-three shinobi standing in a circle in the darkness. Their eyes searched frantically, ears pricked and straining to hear even a single sound in the inky darkness. A nasty laugh echoed through the shadows, causing more than one man to shudder in fear. At the front was a man, nowhere near as panicky as the others. It was him that the one hunting the group focused on, the harsh screech of a hawk piercing through the black.

"Taka-Oni (Demon Hawk/Hawk Demon)!" was the muttering of the various shinobi. The leader quieted them, drawing a needle-like blade as his eyes searched through the black, ears peeled for any sound.

"Be quiet you fools. This is just a genjutsu, or some sort of shadow jutsu like the Nara clan of Konoha use. There is no reason to panic when every single one of us have been trained for situations when sight is useless." The man's voice was harsh and cold, anger evident in every syllable. The men quieted down, for the moment more afraid of their leader then the infamous legend that might be stalking them. They were slightly reassured by what the man had stated, but it was overshadowed by their fear of him.

KushimaruKuriarare was not a happy man as he tried to find his opponent, and it was not just because of the unfavorable conditions he found himself in. Things had been going straight to hell for the Mizukage's forces, and for quite a while to. He sighed, slipping into his memories, despite knowing full well that the men under his command would be dead before long. It was the way the Taka-Oni worked after all, taking a sick pleasure in killing the underlings before torturing the commanders.

It had started with the breakup of his only friends, his fun and sadistic friends, the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. A more traditional title, taken from long before the age of shinobi, it was considered an honor greater than any other to be one of the Seven Swordsmen. Not much was known about the previous group, but what was known was that while the Seven had never fought side by side, they had maintained friendships, and always come to the aid of the others. The most notable example of this was when KenshinUesugi and Shingen Takeda joined together against the might of the Date clan long ago. And that little bit of history had sparked Legends.

The legend began simply enough, an old historian, known by only his title, "Sensei" for his great knowledge, proposed the idea to the ShodaimeMizukage, after expanding on the history behind it.

"_These Swordsmen were Legends, masters of every form of combat possible. What would happen if we were to resurrect them, and have them fight as __**one?**_"

Three generations had come, and now were gone. He was the last one left, even his blood-brother,Jinpachi had fallen to dissension in the ranks. He hated every single one of these rebels, they would burn for killing his family, the only one he had ever known. From his point of view it had been that bloodline bitch, Mei Terumi, who had taken away his family. And to think they had once considered her one of them! He wondered just what it had taken the woman to get his siblings to betray them.

Even in the heat of battle a smile came to Kushimaru's face as he remembered happier times.

His sister, AmeyuriRingo, her fun-loving and blood-thirsty personality melding perfectly with a red-headed temper. She was the "little sister", the one who they all wanted to protect. She had been the first to die, of a terminal illness, but despite that she had brought honor to the Legends, wielding the dual-bladed Kiba, razor-edged blades of what had always seemed to be lighting in her hands. Ameyuri had been the best tracker around, and had never lost a single foe, regardless of the conditions.

MomochiZabuza, the Demon Hidden in the Mist, the sarcastic, loyal, and stealthy wielder of the Kubikiribocho, the decapitating carving knife. Despite being the most easily provoked out of the entire group, Zabuza had always held a sense of honor unseen in the other members. Whilst every member had their honor, Zabuza took it to another level, once even intentionally injuring himself to give an injured opponent a "_small chance to beat me._"

MangetsuHozuki, the Second coming of the Demon. Originally standing in the shadow of Zabuza, the man had swiftly proven himself as a worthy member, able to wield each and every one of the Blades of the Mist, but specializing in the Hiramekarei, the heaviest blade of the group. Mangetsu had been the comedian of the group, always happy and having fun, usually found near Ameyuri or with Zabuza when he wasn't teaching his little brother.

JininAkebino, the most arrogant of the group, but also one of the stronger ones. Wielding the hammer-axe combination that was Kabutowari, the man had only ever looked for a good fight. While distant from the others, Jinin had always been there when one of the others needed him, and the man had lived by a creed, honored by the swordsmen. '_Attack one of us, and our forces will destroy you.'_

JinpachiMunashi, his blood-brother. A truly sadistic bastard, even amongst their group, Jinpachi had always been arguing with him, but both of them had known just how close they were. Fighting with the explosion sword, Shibuki, Jinpachi had always been a powerful foe, with an unlimited amount of exploding tags to go with a never ending battle-rage, Jinpachi had been a berserker, and the more he was hurt, the worse he hurt his opponents. When the man had really got going only he, Kushimaru, could calm him down.

And finally KisameHoshigaki, the leader of the Seven and swift, wielding the pickiest blade of the group, the chakra-sucking Sameheda. The man had been the strongest of the group, his mass-destruction water jutsu and skill with a blade easily allowing him to dominate any and all of his foes. Kisame had always kept an eye on the various members of the group, the eldest and the one who had kept them together through the deaths of the group.

Ameyuri had died from her disease, and a little bitch named Raiga had stolen the Kiba blades, and the damn Mizukage had allowed him to keep them. Within six months the bastard had abandoned Kirigakure, taking the blades with him. Mangetsu, always the closest to Ameyuri, hadn't really liked that, and had hunted the traitor down and nearly killed him. He took the Kiba blades in hand, Raiga lying broken on the ground before him, sealing his own sword into a scroll that he had always'scarred, which transported the blades to the shrine of the Seven Swordsmen, the place where new Swordsmen must claim their blades from to earn the respect of the others. Mangetsu had been about to kill Raiga, when some crippled boy named Ranmaru had stabbed him through the heart with some sort of lighting attack, unkowningly taking advantage of Mangetsu's own water technique. Mangetsu had died there, and Raiga had kept the blades, going underground to avoid the retribution of every other member.

Mei had helped the group through their grief at the death of two family members, becoming a sister. Then she had somehow turned Zabuza, Jinin, and Kisame against he and Jinpachi after the Mizukage ordered an execution of the rebellious bloodline bastards. The Seven Swordsmen had been created to serve the Mizukage, and those three had betrayed one of the foundings of their organization. Kisame and Zabuza fled, and he and Jinpachi had killed Jinin before Jinpachi had died.

Kushimaru sighed to himself in the gloom of the dome, listening with half an ear as his men muttered amongst themselves. Things had seemed so simple then, find and kill all rebels to avenge his family. And for a while, it had continued to be that simple. For a long time the rebels were always's retreating, always's fleeing from the might of the Mizukage and the last loyal member of the Seven Swordsmen. Then it all changed a mere four months ago.

Kushimaru's group had been pursuing a lead about a group of rebels, fully intending on thinning the already small numbers opposing them. That was the day that the legend of the "Taka-Oni" had kicked off, and the day Kushimaru had been forced to start wearing a mask. The day flashed before his eyes, haunting him now as if he was sleeping.

~Flashback~

Laughter was resounding throughout a clearing as one of the men under his command cracked a joke, once again about the incompetence of the rebels. Kushimaru had never laughed at these jokes, knowing that the Rebels were as good as they were, just out-numbered and out-maneuvered at every turn thanks to their spies. A smirk still spread across his rather handsome face, shaking his long brown hair as he drew the needle-sword. These rebels would die, and he would be the one to avenge his fallen comrades. The screech of a hawk resounded as he came to a conclusion, bringing him to think '_how fitting. The hunter approves of my decision to hunt down each and every one of those bloodline sympathizers.'_

The first thing that Kushimaru knew was wrong was when he no longer heard the chuckles of his men, and it hadn't trailed off either. His senses were going haywire as he heard a light thud, and the slight slick a blade piercing flesh. He knew that sound far towell, it happened every time his blade went to work. He turned around, ready and eager to kill the one who had been attacking the ones under his command, only to find nothing there. Nuibari spoke to him, vibrating in his hand and ensuring he knew that someone dangerous was there. He gripped it tighter to reassure it.

Of all seven blades Nuibari was the most cautious, fitting as its wielder's were traditionally the most reckless. Showing the sentience that all seven of the blades had, in the hands of one that it had accepted Nuibari would give warnings, encouragement, and even power to those that fought with it.

His ears, trained for years in the thick mist of Kiri, picked up a light squish, the sound of someone who had softly stepped into wet grass. He smiled to himself, knowing that now the fool who challenged him would die.

He whirled around, Nuibari already moving to skewer the one who was attempting to sneak up on him. Kushimaru used his immense speed to appear behind the enemy, catching his needle-blade and pulling on the wire.

"Sewing Complete. Let's see what kind of picture I've made today." He muttered as he turned around, only to be hit by the log he had skewered. It did very little, as he was used to stronger attacks with less warning, but it did tell him that he had missed his target, a rarity for him. A split second was all the time he had to get his blade behind him as a Katana nearly took off his head. The metallic clang resounded through the clearing as Kushimaru got his first look at his opponent, brief flashes as the man's katana disengaged and swung again. Sparks flew from the matched blades, illuminating a blank ANBU-style mask and spiky brown hair. Kushimaru took the offensive, attempting to stab through the man again. A senbon hit him from behind, dispelling the figure he had been fighting. '_Genjutsu!'_ He thought, horrified, and then the poison kicked in. The man standing before him tripled into three, and only luck kept him from dying as he tripped over the dead body of an ally, causing the katana to miss his neck and instead carve a long gouge through his face. Kushimaru though he was going to die as water flooded the field. The last thing he saw before he passed out was the angry face of Yagura.

~End Flashback~

Kushimaru shook himself out of his daydreaming as Nuibari vibrated in his hands again, far stronger than it had been the last time. His resolve hardened as he lightly cut himself with his blade, dispelling no less than three genjutsu, the dome of darkness disappearing, his men vanishing, and that man appearing in front of him, a hawk upon his shoulder and Katana in hand. The daylight shone upon the field, glinting off of the naked blade, and despite himself Kushimaru shuddered in slight fear. It was not of the man's appearance, for he was merely dressed in typical ANBU-style gear, the blank mask included, and of slightly below average height. No, it was something deeper, something darker, something he had only sensed in Yagura before today. '_This man…he may actually be a threat to the Mizukage.'_ He shook it off, dismissing it despite Nuibari's warnings. If it was true then he wouldn't be able to run anyways, and if it wasn't then he would kill the man.

Nuibari came up, the thin blade of the needle sword gleaming in the sun. Kushimaru spoke up, the excitement of fighting a strong opponent bubbling up inside him. It was a curse of the strong, one would spend their entire life working to get strong, then once they did, they grew stale, the lack of powerful people to push them made them grow complacent, and they begged for someone to fight.

"You caught me off guard last time, and for that I applaud you. This time, however, it will not be so easy." The man said nothing as the hawk took flight, ascending to the sky.

In an instant the man blocked over a dozen speedy stabs from the needle blade, the last one bouncing it off the flat of the katana and moving a scant few inches away, more than enough time for the brown-haired man to slice at him,Kushimaru grabbed something in the air with his left hand, pulling it down as wires caught the man's blade.

"Can I at least know your name, Taka-Oni?" he asked. The man tested the wire, noticing just how strong it was.

"Name's Hanzo." He said as he cut through the wire with ease, shocking Kushimaru so much he barely got away from the cut. He jumped back, deflecting blows that were every bit as fast as his, shocking him even more. '_Nuibari's wire has never been cut before! And now he's pressing me so hard I can't fight back? The fuck is this guy, an Uzumaki? They were the only ones to ever match a member of the Swordsmen, the only clan that knew more about the history behind our title then us.'_ A beak striking into the back of his neck, more than enough force behind it to snap the fragile bone, ended his short contemplation, sending him to join his former comrades in death.

In the trees above, Terumi Mei smiled grimly. With the death of Kushimaru, the tide would finish turning against the Mizukage, a mere four months after Hanzo had joined the revolution. If she didn't know better she would have sworn he had done this before, but there was no way he was involved in the Demon rebellion in the barren lands. That had been all Konoha, more specifically Danzo.

AN: I am well aware that this chapter is not up to par, and I also apologize for the delay. I wasn't sure how to portray the revolution, so I only added a key point, and might expand on it in flashbacks. Needless to say, with Danzo's training Naruto was easily able to turn the tide. Oh, and a word of warning to any up-and-coming writers, if you wish to hold even the roughest of update schedules for your stories, you're going to have to ration your fanfiction addiction. So many stories, so little time.

**ChronoMitsurugi**, I agree that they would all be incredibly beautiful if they chose less revealing clothing, but as **Guest Reviewer Tom** stated, the extra flesh is incredibly distracting. Not only that, but in my story at least the clothes have been chosen for movement, along with the gaudy colors catching attention to distract their opponents at any given time.

Another guest reviewer has pointed out that I seem to be skipping words in places when I type, if so I apologize. I'm afraid that my mind works a little faster than my fingers, leading me to think that I had already typed the words.

**Nagato Wannabe** requested that I give a bit more detail on Naruto's current strength, so while I do not want to give everything away, I will give you Naruto's strength as of this chapter in a Bingo Book Style Entry.

**Uzumaki Naruto**

**Aliases: Hanzo**

**Rank: High S-Rank Nin**

**Elemental Affinities: Earth, Fire, low Water**

**Skills:**

**Taijutsu: Mid S-Rank**

**Genjutsu: High S-Rank**

**Ninjutsu: Borderline SS-Rank**

**Kenjutsu: Borderline SS-Rank**

**Medical Jutsu: Mid C-Rank**

**Sealing Jutsu: High S-Rank**

**Stealth: Low SS-Rank (Can hide from all but the best, unless the environment interferes)**

In other words Naruto is approaching SS-Rank, yet at the same time is nowhere near it. In my opinion, reaching even S-rank is all about breaking Shinobi limits, notice I said Shinobi and not Human, so becoming an SS-Rank ninja would take years of work even for a prodigy. Becoming what I rank as SSS-Rank threat, or in other words the Sage of Six Paths, would take a lifetime. If you look at the legends like Minato, Hashirama, and Madara, you notice that while they all have their areas of expertise, they are good at everything, and are well-rounded shinobi. Naruto could take on most S-rank ninja at this point, despite his young age, just as Itachi could at this time.

**Akaluan,** do not be upset for Kakashi, as I said before he will snap out of it, and come back the stronger for it.


	28. Chapter 28

'_It is an odd thing war. Truly one of the most horrible, yet necessary things in all of existence, wars have been fought for anything and everything, ranging from the insignificant and worthless to the most important and moral things possible. Yet, unlike so many other things, the fortunes of war are liable to change in but an instant, a mere few seconds determining the difference between victory and defeat. It has been proven so many times that one man can be that difference, such as Achilles, Siegfried, Cesar, Nobunaga, and Henry. _

_ Such was the case in the Rebellion of the Mist, a civil war that raged on for the better part of eleven years. For the largest part of the war the rebels were on the retreat, until he came. _

_ Up from the shadows came one man, bathing in the blood of his fallen foes, the Demon Hawk of Kiri. No one knew where he came from, nor did they know his name, but what they did know was this; The Demon obliterated all that was in his way. Even the last loyal member of the Legendary Swordsmen fell before him under four months of the time he entered the war. With his aid the Mizukage's plans were wrecked at every turn, and the oppression he heaped down upon his people turned them against him as the Rebels grew ever stronger. The hope for victory filled the people, making those who had been too afraid to strike out more confident, joining the Rebellion and making the numbers swell to obscene amounts. Within but eight months of his arrival to the war, The Revolution outnumbered the Mizukage's forces, only the die-hard loyalists and the monsters remaining under his command._

_ While the credit for turning the tide of the war goes to him, his role will never be known on a grand scale. No, the man is too clever for that, and he served a woman equally intelligent. His leader, Terumi Mei, saw his potential for shadow warfare, and for leadership, and knew that even after the war this man would be important for Kiri's survival in the future. _

_ I must admit that I smile as I recall that women, even so close to my death I have nothing but the utmost respect for her. She took what I believe to be a mercenary and found a way to make him loyal to her, and to her alone. Whether it was through seduction, fuinjutsu, or some other thing I am unaware of is irrelevant, the fact remains that she did so, and by doing so she has secured the future of the Village Hidden in the Mist. _

_ I have so much respect for this woman not because of her skill in battle, nor for her ability to negotiate, though I do respect both. No, what I respect her the most for is her vision, the ability to look past the current conflict and to prepare for the future. I am ashamed to admit that very few shinobi are capable of looking past the next job, despite the fact that it is those with foresight who become truly great. It is for her foresight that I commend her, the foresight that allowed her to recruit this man, the only one I have ever learned of that could possibly match the War Hawk in his own game._

_ The Shadows are a dangerous place, for they conceal many things. Unknown to the civilians everywhere, wars are being eternally fought in these nations for nothing more than a few feet of land, or a paltry mission sum. The borders are in constant flux thanks to these wars, even if all seems benevolent on the top side. However, there are those who carve a place in these shadows, those who make their home there. We were the guardians of our villages, still are in fact, as the respective Kage's guard the light, we guard the dark, allowing our civilians and shinobi to live in a more peaceful era then they otherwise would. There have been two cases where the positions have blended, but that's not important at the moment._

_ What is however, are the names of who these people are. Consider it my first and only gift to you, Mei Terumi and Hanzo the Demon Hawk. These are the four men who are the greatest players in the darkness, three of whom have made it their home._

_ There is the Thunderstorm of Kumo, legal name of Cloud. Wielding a sword in the manner of Kubikiribocho, it is massive and unwieldy, but just as Zabuza was capable of, he is stealthy and swift, and his lightning and sound jutsu are not to be underestimated. He is the head of BOLT, the shadow version of Kumo's ANBU Black Ops. This man carved his name through a world of bloodshed, showing leadership skills and enough intuition to compete with the best, the War Hawk, and as such swiftly rose to power._

_ Second is the Desert of Suna, Sand. It is undoubtedly not his real name, but he gained both names through a rather unique bloodline that made his body up of completely sand. He can turn most things into dust and sand through his unique chakra, and for some odd reason water has no affect upon him, despite the sand's rather obvious weakness. In between Kumo, Iwa, and Suna, Sand is the worst opponent we can face at this time, for while Suna is the weakest village in the light, they are the second strongest in the shadows thanks to this man. In tactics, leadership, and skill he is second to only one._

_ Third is the Avalanche of Iwa, Gaia. The only female of the group, she is well known for her overwhelming power and severe lack of subtly. In fact it is a miracle she got anywhere in the shadows, considering that discretion is an absolute must for those who live that profession. Do not let that fool you for even a second though, for she is sharp as a kunai, and quick-witted enough to adapt. It is her greatest ability, for what she lacks in subtly she more than makes up for in her quick response to any situation. I honestly do not know if there is anything that can faze her._

_ The last is quite possibly the most dangerous man in existence. If you are anywhere near as skilled as I believe Hanzo then you have already had dealings with this man, for he has fingers in every civilization in the Elemental Nations. As you are aware by now, this man is The War Hawk, Shimura Danzo. The only person in history to hold a position as leader of the shadows for the better part of a century, and the only man to secretly obtain SS status. Of course, that status was lost during the Kyuubi attack, when he sacrificed his right arm and most of his chakra control to stop an __**Imari**__(Menacing Ball) that held the full power of the Kyuubi from destroying his village by calling down the full might of a hurricane. It was a suicide jutsu, and only through some miracle did he survive. While the man is still an S-Rank ninja, his current control of Wind is but a pale mockery of what he once had._

_ Do not let these injuries fool you; Danzo is still every bit as dangerous as he once was, even if he is only half the man he used to be. His kenjutsu is legend, being able to go toe-to-toe with an Uzumaki clan leader and __win__ before they were destroyed, and his skill has only grown with age. His wind manipulation is still unrivaled, to the point where he can has snuffed out a fully raging forest fire within the past year, and we are aware that he has a rather powerful fire affinity, even if he rarely uses it. While his taijutsu is low, and he cannot use genjutsu anymore due to his ruined chakra network, it does nothing to lower his sheer skill and experience._

_ On top of all this, his mind is sharper then the most finely honed blade, easily genius intelligence, and only increased by the decades of experience under his hi-tai-ate. He is a schemer, able to make plans, back-ups for those plans, and a dozen back-ups for the back-ups in a matter of minutes. His organization of Root is also the largest force of shadow warriors, but despite that he has far more ground to cover. While the minor villages fight in these wars, they are just that, minor, and as such cannot stand up to the might of one of the five major villages. Because of this, they pay a hefty tribute to one of the bigger villages to fight for them. Danzo is forced to take care of just over half of the minor shinobi villages, not to mention the escort for the Daimyo's of the lands he controls, Danzo's superior numbers are spread every bit as thinly as the others. The only real difference that numbers make in these wars is the amount of land you can hold, and the total amount of soldiers you can gather when something threatens your main village, which is the main thing that one is trying to protect._

_ I tell you these things, Demon Hawk, because you will need to know them if Mei does what I am sure she will, and makes you the future Flood of Kiri, the head of our shadow force. I have always wanted nothing but the best for my village, and not giving you information about our enemies out of spite during such a crucial time would be remiss of me. I sincerely wish you luck, and pray that you can aide Mei in guiding Kirigakure to greatness, something I was too weak to do._

_-YondaimeMizukage, Flood of Kiri-Yagura_

~Break~

"So it's ready?" Naruto looked around at the shadowed figures in the room, slightly amused at just how a mere five people could be so influential, so much so that they would soon be responsible for the conquering of a Shinobi village. Five people, not including himself, were gathered around a map-covered table, ending the last few plots against the rule of the corrupt Mizukage.

Two of the five were normal compared to the other three, though certainly quite important. The first was a masked man, the Daimyo of Water Country. He had worn a mask since early childhood, when rivals of his father had kidnapped and tortured him. He hadn't allowed it to get to him though, and once his father had died a few years ago he had put his full support behind the bloodline rebellion, saying that Yagura was not doing what was right for his people. The second was the wealthiest woman in all of Kiri, a rather attractive busty blond women whose policy was that war, while good for business when against others, destroyed business when it was close to home. She was right of course.

The third member was a middle-aged man with an eyepatch, one that Naruto knew contained a byakugan taken from a Hyuuga main branch member beneath it. The man, whose name was Ao, was a rather skilled former hunter ninja, hunting down the rouges who fled from Kiri before the bloodline rebellion. Eventually he was promoted to head of the hunter-ninja, and then head of the ANBU, and as his experience and power grew, so too did his influence. When the bloodline rebellion first began her remained behind as a spy, despite the fact that he utterly despised what Yagura was doing to his beloved Kiri. Now he was a general in the Rebellion, one of two truly competent generals, technically one considering the other was a general only in name. Ao was a skilled swordsmen, natural considering that he had been raised in Kiri, and was talented with both water and lightning Ninjutsu. Ao believed in a more masculine approach, at least where men were concerned, becoming irritable if a man was anything approaching what he considered "weak".

Of course, this put him in quite a bit of conflict with the second general, even if the boy was only a general in name. This was a boy, only a few years older than Naruto, who was nearing thirteen years of age despite his slightly older looks suggesting the contrary. It was times like this that he truly appreciated the Kyuubi. He had matured greatly during his last time with Konoha, enough to be mistaken for at least seventeen, considering the manipulative abilities of the Kyuubi's chakra. Sure, it had taken a few years off his life, but Uzumaki tended to live for quite a while normally, and chances were that as a ninja he would die long before he reached retirement age.

Regardless, the boys name was Chojuro, a rather intelligent and shy young man who had passed the task to obtain Hiramekarai, making him the only member of the Seven Swordsmen currently in Kiri. Not only did this give him a large amount of influence in discussions, it also drew the personal interest of Mei, who Chojuro was hopelessly and helplessly in love with. Not the extreme or possessive love either, no, this was the love of a man who knew that he would never get the one he loved, and had instead set his soul on doing everything he could to bring her happiness, regardless the cost to himself. It was something that earned the respect of those that knew it, and Naruto was no exception.

Chojuro was young, inexperienced, and shy, but he made up for all that by being quite the titan on the battlefield. There were three legends that the remnants of the Mizukage's forces feared, and those were Ao, Chojuro, and of course, Hanzo, or him. The last one was a legend, sure, but in this final battle between the two forces Mei would be reserving her talents, chakra, and stamina for the fight against Yagura. It would be the responsibility of her forces, more specifically the three of them to both get her there and to make sure that Yagura's mercenaries didn't kill too many of the rebels, who were now more legitimate then the recognized Mizukage.

The plan was simple, but also would wind up with a fair few casualties even if they were careful. Due to the death of Kushimaru, Yagura had been forced into a corner, and like all things that fight, when one has nothing left to lose, they become several times more deadly. Yagura had managed to dip into the pool of mercenaries, mostly bandits that even now ravaged much of Kiri, along with the many camps that sprang up around the Elemental Nations. Yagura knew that one bandit was no match for even a genin shinobi, and that a properly trained chunin could take down around twenty without resorting to jutsu. A jonin could probably take out around fifty without jutsu. With jutsu the numbers they could take out were easily doubled, but Yagura had created a rather insidious plot. He trained the bandits, not a lot, but enough to awaken their chakra, and perform some of the more basic jutsus. That, when combined with the strategic dispersing of trained ninja in the ranks allowed for both the force of numbers and the disguised assassins that could strike unguarded backs amongst the chaos of a battle.

Yagura's thousands of bandits and his five hundred or so ninja's were marching on the Bloodline base, despite knowing full well that he was marching to his doom. None of the group were sure just what the man was planning, but it was evident he had gone insane, or, as Mei told him in more private conversations, attempting to fight the genjutsu and make ending the war easier for those who were left. Regardless as to which it was, the fact remained that this was not an opportunity that the Rebels could take lightly.

Yagura's forces would be passing a large plateau, one which would provide perhaps the best ambush point possible. The rebel army was already marching to meet the threat, staying a fair distance away from the ambush point. Looking at it, Naruto wondered just how insane Yagura was to even consider fighting there, for the area in which the two armies would be fighting would be a bridge.

It was an old, massive bridge, spanning the mouth of the Aka River, the last place where one could cross the river before it reached the sea. As such, neither side could afford to blow the bridge, especially as there was a large amount of civilian traffic over it during the trading season. On one side of the bridge was the plateau, and the other was where the rebellion army would be. Considering that Yagura was intending for the Rebels to be on the defensive, it was an incredibly stupid move, no matter how numerous his forces were. A bridge that size could be held for hours by a force half the size of what they had, more then enough time for the bulk of the rebel forces to arrive.

Perhaps Yagura had thought that the little attack against the people would have drawn more people then what it did. He had sent what seemed like a sizable force to attack one of the few remaining bloodline compounds in Kiri, and in response the Rebels had moved a large portion of their own forces in counter. They still had about a thousand soldiers, which was more then enough to hold the bridge. Not only that, but with Naruto's ambush plan, it was enough to destroy Yagura. If what he was intending worked, there would be almost no casualties on the rebel side.

"Yes, it's ready. Our army is moving into position, Yagura's forces are on the move, all that remains is for Hanzo to take up position on the plateau." Mei said. Every eye in the room turned to him. The Daimyo spoke up.

"Thank-you for agreeing to fight for us Hanzo-san. Without your skill with earth this entire ambush would…" Narutoraised a hand, shutting the man up.

"Don't thank me until it's over. There has to be something we're missing. Yagura is smarter then this." Ao spoke up now.

"Perhaps he wasn't aware of anyone with an earth affinity. After all, none of us knew that you had one until you put up this plan. Not only that, but Mei-sama's affinity is not strong enough for something like this. It usually takes four or even five powerful earth users to do what you will do today." Naruto nodded in agreement. It did usually take at least four shinobi for this, but he had several advantages most people didn't. The meeting broke up, each going their own way. Mei came over to him, Chojuro right behind her.

"Have fun Hanzo." She said, receiving a nod in return, causing her to sigh. She had tried to get closer to Hanzo, after all the man knew more about her then did any other person on earth. The breakdown the day they met had only been the first. Unfortunately for her he had remained as, if not more, distant to her as ever. It was a mystery she wanted to crack, as she wanted at least one friend she could trust, rather then one man she knew little about she could trust. She watched him leave, wondering just how to get him to open up to her, as she had done to him.

~Break~

The armies were in position, now it was time for the last bit of negotiation. Mei, Ao, and Chojuro approached, as did Yagura and his two lieutenants, both of whom were new.

"Come to surrender Mei?" Yagura spat, no sign of his former kindness in any part of his angry eyes.

"Hardly. We give you one chance for surrender, or your soldiers will die." Her voice was strong and unshaking, despite her nervousness. Yagura laughed, before speaking again.

"You have the arrogance to claim that we will be destroyed? We outnumber you greatly. What makes you think that we would possibly surrender to you?" A feral grin spread across Mei's face, happy that the war was about to finally end. Her arm raised, and the earth started to shake.

"That!"

~Break~

Naruto knelt on the ground, channeling pure earth chakra through his body as the first step in calling the forces of nature to his will. What the rebellion leaders were expecting was a shinobi made avalanche, one that would take out maybe half the enemy army, but what they would get is something far superior.

For unlike others who had done this single-handedly before him, Naruto had a rather sizable advantage. The Chakra of the Kyuubi, a powerful battery for his jutsu. He would only be using it for the first phase of his little plot, one that would ensure that Mei would give him a permanent, high place in the Mist Village. While he was sure that he had her convinced, a little overkill never hurt him.

He saw the signal, Mei's arm rising up, and the earth began to shake from the pure force of his chakra. The cliff rose, arching towards the heavens as shock coursed through every shinobi on the ground, before crashing down upon them like a Tsunami, tons of rock and soil obliterating all in its path. As Yagura's army took massive casualties, the cry of a hawk rang out over the commotion, the source flying above the army. '_Phase Two.'_Thought a slightly tired Naruto.

He tossed a few senbon in the air, a hand seal made with his other hand, multiplying the few into hundreds, hundreds to thousands, and the thousands to millions. Eyes half shut in concentration, the needles alit with a crimson flame, engulfing the sky with a fiery inferno strong enough to block out the sun. His eyes opened fully, the technique name being muttered just before it began.

"**Katon: Hells Inferno."** A far stronger version of Hells Thunderstorm rained down upon the disorganized and damaged army, the needles piercing through rock, bone, and flesh alike.

No words could describe the massacre, and not a single man survived it.

~Break~

Yagura's rage was palpable, the aquamarine chakra of the three-tailed turtle blasting out from his chakra pores, even as Mei grinned in triumph.

The plateau rose, then crashed down upon Yagura's army, and it was then that Mei knew that something was not going as planned. An earthquake cleaved the earth in twain, massive cracks breaking through the soil around the remnants of the plateau, before a hellish fire storm raged down upon the land. The three tails chakra dissipated from Yagura's shock, before it returned, a tail bubbling up behind him. Mei's smile vanished as her chakra rose to match his, the four people accompanying the two titans vanished. A second tail joined the first, and then a third, though Yagura didn't go full Bijuu mode. He knew quite well that that would only inconvenience him against a single opponent. Mei prepared herself for a long fight.

Yagura started it off, his steel staff popping into existence as he moved to her faster than she could react to. She could only just see the blur of his movement, and even then it was only thanks to the chakra shroud. His staff hit her stomach, sending her flying. She flipped over and landed, cursing mentally. '_I trained for years to make up for the overwhelming speed his chakra shroud gives him…am I still this far behind?'_Yagura moved again, but this time she noticed something different. A slight pulse of chakra before he moved, showing the sight of him moving. The blow came a second after he struck, making Mei know what was going on.

She caught the staff on the third blow, smiling grimly at Yagura's growl. Yagura moved, the staff spinning and striking after he jerked it out of her hand, but she was ahead of him now, every blow missed by centimeters. '_**Yoton: Lava Palm.'**_She thought as one of Yagura's strikes opened him up to attack, her palm being covered lava from her bloodline, striking the man in the chest, sending him flying into the air. Other than that there was no affect, and as Yagura landed on the ground he tossed his staff aside.

"You saw through my genjutsu rather fast, to be expected of you Mei. However, close-range combat was never my specialty." Mei tsked to herself, gathering chakra to prepare for what would be the fight for her life.

"**Suiton: GokuRyuu (Five Dragons)!**" Five massive dragons coalesced into being behind him, charging at Mei with immense speed, even as Mei created her own counter.

"**Doton: Wall!"** The catch-all defensive jutsu for earth formed into a massive wall before her and easily absorbed the chakra enhanced water, which allowed Mei's counter attack.

"**Doton: Doryuudan no Jutsu! (**Earth Dragon Blast)" Three dragon heads formed from the wet wall, shooting a large amount of mud balls towards Yagura, who raised a hand, sucking the water from the jutsu and leaving nothing but dust, which soon crumbled away.

"Come now Mei, I'm disappointed. You know that mastery of the three tails grants one godlike control of water, and you send mud at me? **Suiton: Mizu no Waruasobi! **(Trick of Wather)" He flicked his hand, a small bullet of water blasting towards her, piercing through her wall with ease. She caught it in her hand, lave encrusting her body for a brief moment. A sneer appeared on Yagura's face.

"There we go, now you show yourself for the abomination you truly are, and how inferior you are to me. That was a simple E-rank Jutsu, what will you do when I truly start going all out?" Mei said nothing, only bringing out the lava from inside her. It was time to show Yagura just how "inferior" she was.

"**Suiton: Suihou no Jutsu!**(Water Cannon Technique)"

"**Yoton: Lava Cannon!**"

The boiling jet of water met the stream of Lava, Steam filling the air as both sides poured more chakra into it, but that only helped Mei as she made a new jutsu, showing her skill with her bloodlines as she continued to match Yagura's attack.

"**Futton: Acidic Mist." **She thought as the steam around her turned into her new attack. Yagura however noticed the change immediately, and used Mei's acidic steam to his advantage.

"**Suiton: Suijouki no Jutsu!**(Steam Technique)" The steam billowed around him before flowing towards Mei, but having no affect other then obscuring as the cannon battle ended for the moment. Yagura left nothing to chance as he continued.

"**Suiton: GekiryuuChikara! **(Raging River Force)" From the River below a massive amount of water formed into a wave, crashing down upon Mei's position and leaving the bridge flooded.

"**Yoton: Dome."** A dome of Lava protected Mei from the wave, soon hardening into stone from the water. Yagura growled at the sight, growing a bit bigger before regaining control. Mei smiled from the shadows, knowing that if Yagura went into full three-tails mode, where he became the size of the Biju, the battle was over. Her lava could easily pierce the chakra and annihilate him, but the problem was getting him to transform. Yagura was quite talented at keeping his temper.

Yagura's staff reappeared in his hands, one hand going through seals as water coated his staff. He looked around, soon spotting Mei, growling at her.

"Playtimes over!"

"**Suiton:…"**

~Break~

The hawk landed on the ground, Naruto hopping off its back and onto the ground, the summoned beast nodding in a farewell before vanishing back to its realm. He turned to the bridge, intending to help Mei fight Yagura once he recovered from the slight chakra exhaustion. Now matter how powerful you were, two S-rank Jutsu in a row with barely a minute between them would take a lot out of you.

A burst of spores exploded into being around the brown-haired man just as he was inhaling, a fair amount of the spores going straight to his lungs. Swiftly coughing up blood, he went to one knee from the sheer force of his reaction to it. '_What the hell is this? I'm immune to most poisons…this is not good. Kyuubi, how long?'_ The demon fox was practically snarling at the moment, but took a moment from his rage to respond, voice sitting with hate.

"**Two and a half minutes, maybe more. This poison would normally have obliterated your lungs by now. Whoever made it, they are very good. Besides that, keep on your guard Naruto. I'm sensing a chakra that I haven't felt since I attacked Konoha and was sealed into you…that damn Uchiha!"**Naruto's eyes widened, instinctively pulsing his chakra in case he had been caught in a genjutsu. Nothing changed, but ever so slowly a raven haired man wearing a orange mask and a black cloak rose from the ground. Insane laughter bubbled up from the man's chest, ending in a perky, cheerful voice.

"Hello! I'm Tobi! And Tobi's a good boy!" Naruto made no movements other than to slowly rise into a standing position, attempting to avoid aggravating his lungs. Kyubi could fix them, but it would take some time.

"Tobi eh? I take it you're the reason that I've been poisoned?" He spoke, blood dribbling down the side of his chin from his mouth as he did so. He noticed the masked-man's surprise through body language rather than facial expression, and waited for the man to make a move. The longer he stalled, the better.

"Ohhh, Tobi's impressed! You're the only one who has **been able to take Sasori-Ni's** poison and still live after a few seconds. You must be a good boy too!" Naruto's eyes narrowed, hearing a second-timber in the man's voice. '_Split personality? That…could prove troublesome. The second one came out right before the Sasori-ni part, showing an analytical side. Both sides of him likely specialize in different areas if that's the case…I still need to play along for now.'_

"I suppose I can be a good boy, Tobi. Tell me, why did you poison me?" '_If I'm right, his more childlike side will tell me the better part of his reasons…then his serious side will take over, and I can meet the more dangerous Tobi.'_

"Eh? You're still awake? Well…I suppose it wouldn't be so bad to tell you why. Just don't tell anyone, after all, Tobi's a good boy right?" Naruto got the impression of puppy eyes staring at him as he hesitantly nodded.

"You're dangerous! Ni-chan says that you could cause a problem to our plan to see Rin again, and that you need to be taken out, or controlled!" The way the man said it was just so innocent, as he bobbed around the area, looking at everything with all the curiosity of a happy child, even poking the smoldering remains of a bolder in fascination.

"So, so, Ni-chan said that since you're strong enough to resist the poison, I should get control of you." Now he started to seem guilty, lightly poking his fingers together as his voice quieted from the enthusiastic tone he had held the entire time.

"He…he says I should either kill you or place you in Yagura-ni'sgenjutsu. I don't want to do either, but…I want to see Rin-chan and Kakashi-ni again, **and this is the only way**. I'm sorry!" And the man looked sorry, almost as if he genuinely felt guilty, despite the fact that the serious tone was becoming steadily more dominant in his voice, especially when he had said that this was the only way.

'_Kakashi? How does Tobi know Kakashi? Circles in circles.'_ Tobi suddenly cheered up again, moving to right in front of him so fast that he had to of teleported somehow, nearly causing Naruto to attack him. The only reason he didn't was because of Kyuubi's warning.

"**Not yet Naruto. I've managed to restore your chakra access, but you still can't move without spreading the poison. I'll need another minute for that, and you'll be coughing up blood for a good half hour after that."** Tobi spoke again, voice happy and energetic once again.

"I know! Tobi will give you a last request! **Make it good, because your time is running out.**" The man's voice turned dark after the first sentence, a black aura seeming to slowly make its way out, until Tobi shook his head and said"

"Ni-chan! I can handle it! Tobi agreed to give a last request!" The dark cloud sank back into him for the moment, and Naruto relaxed a small amount.

"I'm sorry Hanzo-san! Ni-chan is rather impatient, so can I go ahead and give you your final wish? Before we control you at least." Naruto shifted a little, testing his body. It hadn't been a minute yet, but he could force his body to move if he had too.

"Very well," He started off amicably, golden eyes beginning to shine slightly behind his mask, surprising Tobi.

"How do I stop your genjutsu from taking affect against me?" He asked, mentally smirking, as Tobi recoiled in surprise, nearly falling. Then he laughed, a short chuckle expanding into belly shaking laughter, both the innocent tone and the more serious tone mixed within it. When Tobi spoke again, it was with both aspects of his personality in balance, a double-timbered tone that seemed to indicate possession.

"Clever. **Very Clever.** You are a good boy after all, **choosing to learn how to stop us from possessing you. **But Tobi is a good boy! **And he keeps his word. To** Defeat the **genjutsu, you need only **avoid the casting, which **is almost impossible, considering **Tobi can **cast it at any moment. I suppose the **best way to stop it from happening would **be to damage Tobi to the point where Tobi** can't focus, **which** would **res**ult in Hanzo-ni** escaping with his life, and in control of his body, rather than **Tobi being in control! There we go. **You will fall, regardless whether you know or not. **Tobi is sorry Hanzo-ni, but **You're in the way **of seeing Rin-chan and Kakashi-ni, **and in the way of my ambition!**" It was obvious that the time for talk was over, Tobi completely losing control to his darker side, the aura once again taking presence in the air.

"**Genjutsu: …"** Tobi began, but was stopped almost immediately by a massive amount of dust kicking up around the pair, blocking Tobi's sight of Naruto. '**Clever once again. It seems my child-side may have already cost us the battle just by telling him that it was a genjutsu. It isn't an area affect genjutsu, which means I have to see him, and have a moment to concentrate to control him. Someone like this cannot be left alive, whether under our control or not. He would break out faster than Yagura.'** The dust didn't settle for over a minute, the roar of the wind controlling it keeping any sounds out of the twos ears, and Naruto was finally able to kick off the poison. The dust settled, revealing neither of them had moved. Naruto crouched over, placing his right hand on the hilt of his katana. Tobi tsked to himself, getting ready for a fight. Apparently this man had built up quite a resistance to poisons.

"**Kenjutsu: Fiery Dragon."** He moved towards Tobi, faster then most ninja ever could, slashing into the black-haired mans body, only to go straight through him. Naruto's eyes widened behind his mask in shock, and as Tobi reappeared in front of him he only just managed to dodge the punch that was sent towards him, but a second slash once again went straight through the man, opening up Naruto for a counter, as Tobi snapped up a kick into Naruto's face.

The crunch of Naruto's nose breaking resounded through the field, even as the effects of the jutsu battle between Mei and Yagura continued in the distance. Tobi back flipped away, kicking off of Naruto's already damaged face to gain momentum. Naruto's mind was already whirling, attempting to figure out a way to damage the man.

'_I went straight through him both times, my blade not doing anything to him.'_ He placed a hand on his nose, wrenching it back into place without even a wince, Kyuubi's chakra already doing its job. '_Despite this, he could hit me perfectly. He was solid when he hit me, and as such he can't use whatever intangibility ability he has when he strikes. As such…'_ Naruto sheathed his blade, switching to taijutsu even as the man moved to attack him again. His thoughts had taken less then a second, to Tobi's knowledge all that Naruto had done was set his nose and sheath his katana. Tobi attacked this time, fist moving quickly to strike Naruto down.

The brown-haired man easily dodged the fist, he was faster than Tobi. His hand came up, catching the outstretched limb. Tobi growled, before foolishly attempting to hit him, continuing with taijutsu despite the fact that his secret had been discovered so quickly. Naruto easily dodged the man's right hand, twirling around him while still holding his left, before stomping on his right ankle. A few seconds pause resounded through the clearing as Naruto registered his now broken foot. A slight wince spread across his features before Tobi's right elbow sent him flying, several broken ribs joining the list of damages.

'_What the heck? Is he made of steel or something?'_ A flash of the man's left arm appeared, the fleshy wrist held in his hand. '_No…it must be armor of some sort. I need time now though…I can't walk on this foot. __**Kage Bunshin.'**_ The most effective clone popped into existence as Tobi turned around, a swift genjutsu giving Naruto the cover required to heal himself, palms glowing green as he focused on restoring his mobility. The clone launched an attack, the superior speed keeping the clone alive long enough for Naruto to finish. Naruto began to prepare an ambush for the masked-man, saturating the ground with earth chakra while he had the chance. The earth would be much more responsive to him, Tobi as well, but at least he would have an advantage when the jutsu fight started.

He drew his katana; nose, ribs, and foot completely healed, as the clone slowly drew Tobi towards him. '_Three seconds…two…one…now!'_ Tobi launched a kick towards his clone, the chakra creation taking the hit so that Naruto could slash the man in the back. What he wasn't expecting was the sudden intangibility of the man, Tobi's foot going through his clone as Naruto's katana went right through. The former blond jumped back, sheathing the katana as his clone was killed by Tobi whipping his foot out of the clones head.

"**I can't do that on humans…but clones are easy."** He said, the deep voice insuring that it was Tobi's darker side that was still out…for the moment.

The man turned around, glaring at Naruto from the single eyehole of his spiraling mask. Naruto put his hand on his katana, sealing it away completely, knowing it would only get in the way. He settled into a stance, left arm half extended with his right close against his chest, ready to counter anything Tobi might do. The Uchiha didn't disappoint, as he started off the jutsu portion of the battle.

"**Katon: Blazing Red Cannon!"** A red sphere formed on the man's hand, blasting towards Naruto, who just channeled earth chakra to his hand and batted it aside, far more concerned about the real attack then the souped-up E-Rank.

"**Katon: Dorogan no Jutsu!"** A large ball of red flames flew towards Naruto, exploding on contact with whatever it hits. A stomp on the ground had a stone bursting up underneath it, piercing the technique through the center and causing it to explode prematurely. Yet another, admittedly more dangerous distraction, as Tobi finished charging chakra for his real attack.

"**Katon: Amaratsu Roaring Flame Sphere!"** Black flames poured forth from the Uchiha's eye, forming into a massive sphere easily twice the size of a single-story house, before it rocketed up into the sky, unthreatening for the moment. Tobi continued the fire barrage however, this time using more dangerous techniques.

"**Katon: Fire Hammers. Katon: Eternal Flames. Katon: Fiery Rain!"** Naruto cursed mentally as hammers of fire spun towards him, a crimson ring encircled him while closing inwards, and larges drops of fire coalesced into being above him. The three attacks were each B-rank or above, and to pull them all off within seconds of each other was no small feat. However, Tobi would have to do far better than this to beat Naruto.

"**Doton: Mizu Sousetsu no Jutsu**! (Water founding Skill) **Suiton:…**" A crater formed into the earth, water spraying into it at high speed. Despite this, the lack of water within close range of him, Naruto had to focus for several seconds to call up the amount of liquid needed, almost enough for him to wind up dying.

"**Suiton: Suijinheki! (**Water Barrier)" The ultimate defense of a water-natured shinobi swirled into being around him, a small coating of water flowing up his feet from the crater to cover his entire body. One word finished the technique, a mere second before the three fire techniques killed him.

"**Expand."**

Tobi didn't know what happened. One moment his opponent was almost dead, and the next he heard something. The roar of a river, flowing speedily over rapids drowned out all else, as crystal-clear water exploded into a dome from the epicenter of his techniques. All of the flames were annihilated in an instant, and the dome of water swirled around to hover behind Hanzo in three large spheres. His shock caused his more childlike side to take over, not something he wanted in a battle.

"Uaaahh! Hanzo-ni, that's awesome! Let me show you what I can do!" Naruto's eyebrow rose behind his mask. '_The child-like side of him is in control? I don't like this.'_ Naruto's instincts were quite good, and it was proven in but a single moment, as Tobi showed just why his more serious side took control for fights. Otherwise there wasn't anything left.

"**Raiton: Ten Thousand Lightning Bugs!"** Naruto watched in horror, unable to stop the jutsu as thousands of little balls of white light leaked out of Tobi, moving at the speed of light to surround Naruto. His water techniques wouldn't help him here. Tobi stopped holding the seal, but retained control of the many spheres of pure lightning. Then Tobi continued, pulling off one of the strongest S-rank lightning techniques in existence.

"**Raiton: Kouten no Saiketsu! (Heavens Judgement)"** Naruto's mind was spinning as he tried to figure out a way to avoid the technique. An attack of that power was created to shred through any and all defenses, and the lightning bugs would obliterate whatever was left. That left but a single option. It would wipe out his chakra, but something was telling him that it wouldn't be a good idea to use the Kyuubi, not just the fact that he refused to reveal it. He popped a soldier pill into his mouth, feeling the foreign chakra restoring him. Several moments went passed, as both shinobi charged up chakra, the earth cracking around them, gravity itself distorting from the two titanic chakras.

"**Rasengan: Tails of the Moon."** A blue sphere, whirling around at the speed of sound, formed into his hand, all three spheres of water behind him flowing into it, along with all the water that had flowed into the crater beneath him, fire raging from his body to be absorbed into, and the earth itself being ripped apart and sucked into the jutsu. Hundreds of the lightning bugs were sucked into it, and oxygen from all around him was devoured by the element hungry jutsu, the orb expanding in size with each new element, forming into a small house with each of the five elements swirling inside it. His strongest Jutsu, a one shot jutsu that took well over ninety-five of his total chakra, one inspired by the mightiest of the Biju. The Juubi. An aura far darker then Tobi's seeped out of the sphere, forming into an Avatar of the beast itself, The massive Wolf with tomoed eyes howling out a bone-chilling challenge to all who would oppose it. Tobi wasn't immune, almost losing concentration on his jutsu because of it.

Deep inside the seal the Kyuubi curled deeper into a ball, covering its head with all nine of its tails. It had hated this jutsu from the moment Naruto successfully created it. The boy had impossibly brought out the very aura of the Juubi into the sphere, even going so far as to form it for the first time underneath the full moon and ask the god-like being to bless it. Kyuubi didn't know why, it didn't know how, but the Juubi had blessed that jutsu. This would be the first time it was used in battle, and the nine-tailed fox demon was afraid of the results.

Every remaining lightning bug gathered inside Tobi's hands, the light fighting the overwhelming darkness of the Juubi. He blasted the combined techniques before Naruto ever moved, a beam of pure energy carving through the earth faster than anything ever seen and heading straight for Naruto.

The shinobi pushed the Rasengan in front of him, the two forces colliding with a massive boom as the Juubi roared out a victorious cry. He walked, slowly but surely, the jutsu held in both hands, annihilating what was quite possibly the strongest attack in the history of the elemental nations history. Blackness enveloped the world as Naruto's Rasengan met Tobi's hands, an explosion ripping straight through the ground for miles around.

The location of the clash would be forever known as the Demon's Abyss, for it became a fifty mile long trench that penetrated nearly to the core of the earth.

~Break~

Mei panted on the ground, lying defeated. She had failed. She had been foolish to try and match Yagura in a jutsu battle, despite it being her very best ability. Despite her bloodlines superiority to Yagura's water Ninjutsu, the Jinchurikki's unlimited access to a massive amount of chakra from the Three-Tailed Turtle had caused her to lose. It was over. Since the massive black explosion there had been no sign of Hanzo, and she feared that he had died. With him dead, she knew that there was no one else who could stop Yagura.

Speaking of the man, he moved towards her, a smirk on his face as the chakra shroud dissipated into the air, unable to hold it anymore, not that it mattered now. He didn't bother with words, just forming a few seals to finish her off. She didn't close her eyes, wanting to see her end coming.

"**Suiton: Mizu no Yaiba.** (Water Sword)" A long sword formed in Yagura's hands, the crystal blue water would be the last thing on this earth that she sees. A choked out sentence surprised her though, a slight spatter accompanying it.

"**Doton: Ishi no Yari."** A spear of stone impaled Yagura from the ground up, piercing his brain before he had time to think, the water sword crashing onto the ground from his lip hand. The spear crumbled as soon as it formed, showing sight of her savior.

Sun-kissed blond hair, almost crimson and covered in blood highlighted a tanned face, a cerulean eye gazing at her, the other gone, a scar covering his right eye socket, which was nothing more than a black hole in his skull. Blood dripped off him from various injuries, both arms completely shredded, the bone showing through in many places. He was barely walking, left leg obviously broken, and his body was littered with gashes. Despite this, Mei recognized him, wondering just what the hell happened to him as she struggled her way up, the rebel medics coming to check on the pair.

"Hanzo?" She queried. That was all Naruto remembered as his eye rolled into the back of his head, the pain and chakra exhaustion forcing him from the realm of consciousness.

~The End~

AN: Alright, sorry for the absence, but Mei's fight with Yagura didn't want to happen. As you can tell, I just gave up on it. If requested by…shall we say fifteen people? Yes, fifteen requests and I'll do my best to type it. Don't expect it anytime soon though, I stopped it because I couldn't visualize it.

So, how bout the battle with Tobi? I like this version quite a bit better then the Anime's, because personally I think that Obito wouldn't have survived that sort of trauma without a second personality.

You all will find out why I put the Italicted prelude in here in the next chapter…so please, no complaining that it didn't match the story.

OoklahThePunk57, I was quite happy to read the review you wrote. Just for the fact that despite the size, it was quite positive. I think the first reaction I had to it was '_What did I do to piss him off? I've only seen flames this big." _Now for your statements, I'll admit to sacrificing Sarutobi's intellect for plot advancement now that I read back over it, but at the time I was thinking something completely different. After a lifetime of warfare, seeing friends and family die in front of him, both his beloved sensei's dying, and a lack of counsel for any of these things would wind up destroying anyone in my opinion, which is what I was thinking when I wrote about him. The village was all he truly had left, and when it was ticked off at him it all came crashing down around him. Probably his only mental breakdown. Also, don't worry, Sasori will not be taken down by a chunin-medic ninja and his grandmother…despite what it will look like at first. My fights are Ninjutsu heavy because in an open fight, Ninjutsu is what really turns the tide of battle. I honestly believe that the only reason Rock Lee hasn't died is because he doesn't give his opponents an opportunity to use genjutsu, or those that he face suck at them. They even use little Ninjutsu.

I'll just ask this. If you had the choice between doing undodgable, hard to counter attacks or up close and personal, which would you pick? This is despite the chakra limitation, but even then most shinobi fights don't last that long.

Sanquaria…think I spelled that right…Don't worry, Naruto will be facing incredibly powerful opponents…one that will surpass even his limits.

, there wasn't going to be much of the mist rebellion anyways. Naruto came into it during the waning months, despite how much influence he had over it.

Thank you very much Thorndsword, my ego is quite high right now.

Now I'm doing something different, because I honestly can't decide. I don't know how to set up a poll for this either, so just leave your opinion in a review or pm me.

I can't decide who to pair Naruto with. I have several ideas, three to be specific, that would work for my Naruto and the way I am going to take my story. I can see him landing with each one, considering the way I am making my characters, and I leave the decision up to you all.

Terumi Mei. Natural choice.

Subaku no Temari. Choosers of this choice will see no action for a while, so be careful. As BBWulf put, there will be no tasty lemons for her for a long while, if I do any at all.

Final choice, Akatsuki no Konan. I have no clue of her last name, so I'll just put that. Naruto will be taking down Akatsuki, so I can see this one happening much better then Temari, but it's up to you.

This little poll will be up for the next three chapters, and then I shall stop accepting opinions.


	29. Chapter 29

_Drip…drip…drip…drip_

Cerulean eyes opened, registering the gloom, dimly lit by flickering torches.

_Drip…drip…drip…drip_

Soaked clothes clung to his body as he floated in an unknown liquid, a musty smell invading his nostrils.

_Drip…drip…drip…drip_

A body rose from the water, tanned feet causing ripples across the surface as they stood on the water.

_Drip…drip…drip…drip_

The eyes rose from the ground, seeing the bars of a cage in front of them.

_Drip…drip…drip…drip_

"**That dripping is quite irritating isn't it?"**A demonic voice boomed out, slight annoyance in its tone.

_Drip…drip…drip…drip_

Azure eyes met crimson, warming slightly in recognition.

_Drip…drip…drip…drip_

"**Intending to speak sometime today Naruto?"**

_Drip…drip…drip…drip_

The scene changed, moving from a sewer to a cave, the bars finding purchase in the stone of the surroundings. The annoying drip vanished, causing the crimson entity to sigh in relief.

"**You have no idea how irritating it is to have nothing but that sound for company for a month straight."**

"What happened Kyuubi?" the blond asked, almost emotionless.

"**Straight to business eh? Well then, how far do your memories take you?**" The boy considered it for a moment, thinking over what he remembered.

"To the point of passing out." The Kyuubi nodded, humming in thought for a moment before talking.

"**Well, you know that you survived the major backlash of your technique through a last-second Doton: KouseitanKawa. **(Element Skin) **Despite this the lightning from your technique wound up shredding your skin and screwing up your nerves beyond recognition. The wind blasts that resulted from the explosion also wound up with you getting shredded. Along with this was immense chakra exhaustion, something your body didn't know how to handle, having never experienced it before. **

**Fortunately, the immediate attention from medics allowed me to help fix it; you're going to have to have an explanation for that by the way. It took me a week to finish healing your wounds, though there are complications. I'll get to those in a moment. I was able to heal all of your injuries, and adapt an eye that they transplanted into you to be just like your old one. **

**Despite your injuries being gone, your body needed time to recover, especially with the consequences of the speed healing you went under. There's only so much that should be healed in a week after all. Because of this, you've been in a coma for a month. Any questions?"**Naruto just looked at the giant fox, causing the beast to smirk at him. It knew exactly what its host wanted.

"What complications?" The Kyuubi got serious again, crimson eyes hardening as it stared at Naruto.

"**You're fucked up. That jutsu you used has some major side effects, and I'm not even sure if you'll be able to survive using it again, with or without safety measures in place. You might, and I stress might, be able to survive it once you perfect Sage Mode, and that would provide the necessary chakra to use it, but don't use it again. Ever, unless you truly have not other choice. I'll start with the worst side effects first.**

**Your chakra has been fucked up. There's no other way to generalize what happened. The microscopic winds slashed your tenketsu to pieces, and even I have trouble fixing those. Because of that, you won't be able to access as much of your chakra as you used to. It's all still there, but you have access to less of it, the rest is devoted towards maintaining balance in your Tenketsu. I estimate that you'll be this way for a year and a half, and you have access to high-chunin level chakra."**Naruto's eyes widened in shock. This was bad.

For all of Naruto's attempts to the contrary, his fighting style used a lot of Ninjutsu, especially considering his body wasn't mature enough to master his **Soru (**Shave) yet. His massive chakra reserves allowed him to make up for the fact that he quite simply _wasn't as fast _as the adults he fought. Weight training could only do so much, so fast. He usually blew threw a high chunin's reserves over the course of a fight, higher if he was against several fighters. After all he never seemed to fight people around his natural speed level. Not a day went by that he didn't thank Danzo for teaching him how to do that. It was a mark of just how skilled he was that no one had ever noticed him doing it, despite him being around Byakugan-wielding shinobi a lot.

Even then, Naruto would have preferred to use less Ninjutsu, being able to avoid the attacks thanks to various factors. Unfortunately, he was forced to rely upon more Ninjutsu for the same reason he needed to use immense amounts of chakra to increase his speed. The vast majority of ninja he fought were at least A-Rank, meaning that they had improved their Ninjutsu to at least their own speed level, if not faster. It was a major pain in the neck, one he would now have to find another way around, because he could no longer match the fast, furious Ninjutsu techniques with ease. However…something wasn't adding up.

"How is this possible Kyuubi? Typically if the Tenketsu are damaged like this you lose access to chakra completely." The fox nodded, continuing his explanation.

"**The best way to explain it is that I've managed to change the effect of the damage to mimic a more powerful form of the Hyuga Juken. If the typical Juken palm strike is a needle, your jutsu took a hammer to each of your Tenketsu. I can restore them, along with your chakra, but it will take a long time, at least a year and a half. So I'd advise physical training, and taking the opportunity to master your Ken, Tai, Gen, Fuin, and Iryo jutsu while you can. You have more than jutsu knowledge for now, and you can continue elemental manipulation training as well, refining your control." **Naruto nodded in agreement.

"Any ideas on what I can expect?" The Kyuubi lay down in a slouching position from where it had been standing, lazily laying its head on its paws while yawning.

"**No S-Rank Jutsu, that's for sure. One, maybe two A-ranks a day, a few more B-ranks then that, so long as you do no A-ranks. I'd advise mastering defensive and manipulative C-ranks and D-ranks, because with these injuries you'll need to master subtlety and control of a battle to an extent you've never needed, even while serving with Root."** Naruto nodded again. Kyuubi knew what it was talking about when it came to medical knowledge, considering the great fox had spent decades learning everything about the human body it could to save the Rikodu Sennin from death.

"Next." He said, hoping the news wasn't too bad.

"**This one is nowhere near as bad Naruto, so don't worry too much. Your left arm was shattered; I've fixed it, but for about a month you'll be dealing with pain after any serious use.."** Naruto blinked. For a ninja, that wasn't that bad. Considering that it wasn't anywhere near the spine, there would have been no complications in healing the bone through medical jutsu, though admittedly it would have been both expensive and time consuming for anyone other than Tsunade and Chiyo. As a result, by the time it was finished most shinobi would be completely out of shape, unfit for duty. Though the village retrained them, the lost time and depression that usually came about from such a wound often stopped the shinobi from rising any higher than chunin. A very notable example of the contrary was Jiraiya, the only man in history to shatter every bone in his body with the sole exception of his spine.

"**That's all the semi-permanent damage; however, there is one other thing. Mei and a few doctors saw your real face and hair color."** Naruto shrugged, causing the Kyuubi to raise an eyebrow.

"It was going to happen eventually. I'm not quite sure how dye could be blasted out of…healing chakra, of course. Returning everything to the way it originally was, the basic idea of all medical practice." The Kyuubi nodded slightly. With the amount of chakra flowing through his veins and the vast majority of Naruto's body needing healing, Kyuubi hadn't been able to stop its chakra from restoring everything it could, down to the very color of Naruto's hair. The boy wouldn't be surprised if his eye-color had been restored to baby blue upon awakening and his skin every bit as soft as silk, not a single callous to be found, anywhere. Mass restorations were useful, but draining.

The thought of just why he was in this situation was enough to make him laugh, confusing the Kyuubi.

"Just think Kyuubi, both me and my target survived. Me through my earth manipulation, and him through that incredibly useful intangibility skill, even if neither of us will be fighting all out for some time." The Kyuubi growled at the reminder that the Uchiha survived, having gone intangible after getting rather cut up. Still, like Naruto said, Tobi had been in almost as bad a shape as Naruto. Now that the beast thought of it, that way of fleeing was rather cheap, but whatever worked. This was the shinobi world after all, no such thing as cheating.

~Breaking~

"Mei-sama, he is waking." The red-haired woman glanced up from her desk in the Kage office, barely two weeks in the job and already buried in paperwork that _didn't _involve the repairs or missions to recover Kiri's economy. No, this paperwork was important, yet unimportant, being a variety of requests for lodging from civilians who wanted to move back into Kirigakure now that the civil war was over.

"Take me to him then." She responded to the nurse, the one she had assigned to the secret-keeping Hanzo. Not that she blamed him, they were shinobi after all, and he had never claimed to trust her, despite her trust in him. And it was obvious that she would be dead twice over without him, so she was giving him the benefit of the doubt…for the moment. The walk took just a few minutes, and Mei entered Hanzo's hospital room to find the now-blond shinobi sitting easily on the bed, handsome face now revealed to the world for the first time since she had met him. She took a moment to observe it, as who knew when he would cover it up again.

Blonde, spiky hair, trailing halfway down his neck with two bangs slowly winding their way down, framing the sides of his face, ending just under his jaw. His face was oddly tanned considering he was almost never without his mask, aristocratic jaw line with slightly high cheekbones. One thing that drew attention was a set of scars, three on each cheek, looking like whisker marks for some reason. '_A birthmark perhaps?'_ She though curiously, intending to ask later. However, it was his eyes that drew attention, an icy blue, every bit as clear and cold as the water the man so effortlessly commanded. It could easily draw one in, and as his eyes met hers a pleasant buzzing filled her mind, although she shut the feeling down as quickly as it appeared. '_It seems I'm crushing on him…'_ It was a natural reaction after all. If a woman or man didn't have a crush of some sort on the person who saved their lives twice then something was terribly wrong in that picture.. (_AN: Sakura and Naruto; a moment of silence for our brother in the friend zone.)_

"Mei-sama, always a pleasure. What brings you to my room so soon after I wake up?" Now that she could see his face, Mei could read more into what he said thanks to his eyes. He knew exactly what she was there for, but he didn't care, completely at ease, or as much as a shinobi can be. She sat down on one of the chairs, outwardly every bit at ease as he was, before speaking, melodic voice flowing through the room in a wave, soft and deceptive on top, but beneath it was an edge every bit as deadly as the lava she commanded.

"Hanzo-kun, glad to see you're awake. Have you recovered?" The man smiled slightly at her, just a slight upturn of his lips.

"From what I've been able to tell I'll recover fine, and be back up to full strength in just over a month. Thank you for asking. Also, thank you very much for the ocular transplant. Without it, there may have been some…complications." A slight hardening of his eyes, visible for only a second, before they warmed back up as she inclined her head in response.

"You're welcome. I must admit though, blue goes quite well with blonde." A hint of steel in her own tone now, an easily interpreted demand for an explanation by any shinobi above genin level.

"Not quite as well as red and green I think, but thank you anyways. It would seem as though the high-speed regeneration I was forced to undergo wound up kicking any foreign agents away from my body, dye being one of them." A fair deflection, but not one that would distract her.

"Dyeing your hair as a mercenary? One could almost call that cowardly Hanzo-kun, attempting to avoid the judgment of whatever you were fleeing from. I hope that it is not too serious though, I think that I've had enough to deal with already without handling the trouble that would cause a name change." A stab at his honor, one that would affect most shinobi, washed over him without so much as a blink, and the revelation of what she suspected from the moment she saw blond hair instead of the usual brown had the exact same reaction; nothing. She had to give him credit; the man had an enviable control over his emotions.

"A shinobi lives and dies by the skill of their deceptions Mei-sama. Why should I be any different?" A nod of her head gave the point, but she patiently waited for an explanation.

"My past is behind me; I've made sure that any remnants of it will have no influence on my current allegiances." She looked at him for several moments, before deciding to believe him; Hanzo was too careful of a shinobi to do otherwise, and too paranoid as well.

"Your name then?" She asked, raising her only visible eyebrow. He tilted his head slightly, evaluating her.

"Naruto." No surname, but then again she hadn't expected one. Han…Naruto, from what she had seen, wasn't very trusting. And despite his deception, she needed his talents working for Kirigakure, rather than an enemy. A shinobi of his level could easily cause problems for her village down the line. She was cut off from her thoughts by his voice.

"Congratulations on becoming Mizukage. You earned it." She blushed slightly; the memory of every one of her soldiers and every civilian left in Kiri cheering at her inauguration still fresh in her mind.

"Thank-you." The atmosphere in the room changed in that moment, going from companionable to ominous as an orange liquid dribbled from the corner of Mei's mouth, the temperature going from mild to overly oppressive in under a second.

"Of course, I will do all I can to defend it." She said, smiling sweetly, receiving a nod in return. She had to give him credit for that as well; even Yagura had flinched when she got serious, even if he recovered quickly. The temperature dropped back down to normal, a pale hand wiping the drop of liquid from her mouth. A threat, and a warning. It opened up the stage for her proposal.

"What do you intend to do, Naruto-kun?" She queried, watching the man carefully for any reaction. He made none.

"I'm not sure yet." It was casually stated, making it seem as if he had yet to make up his mind, yet was open to suggestions.

"Perhaps you would consider staying? Kiri could make great use of a man with your talents, especially with you skill with spies." It was quite true. Five months into the war Naruto had created a flawless spy network that could actually tell him how many times Yagura shook it after he peed. The first time Naruto had volunteered that particular piece of information had caused a fair few amusing reactions. She had no clue how he did it, but she knew that Kiri couldn't afford an enemy that could be that well informed. Naruto smiled mentally, the Kyuubi snorting in his head. Seals were powerful things.

"It depends on what I'm offered." A mercenary through and through it seemed, but she already had a position for him, one that reflected well upon his talents. She had gotten the idea from Yagura actually, and considering she had no one else capable of filling it she had to keep Naruto. She tossed him a scroll, his right hand coming up easily and catching it, an eyebrow raised as he unrolled it.

"That scroll is the last thing Yagura ever wrote as himself. It seems he managed to break free of the controlling genjutsu one last time, and it was right before our final fight." Naruto looked up, realization dawning in his eyes.

"I couldn't find out what he was writing, I figured it was a set of orders for his army when it was reported to me." Mei shook her head in exasperation.

"And that is exactly why we need you. How the heck did you manage to find out what one of the last things he was doing before me?" Naruto made no response, not that she expected any, choosing instead to read the scroll. It held a warning for him, a warning of the shadows. (Beginning of last chapter. This way I have what all involved parties were doing right before the big event)

"So you want me to be Kiri's Flood?" Naruto had expected ANBU at the highest, but a position this high right off the bat? Mei wanted something else, something more.

"You are the only person qualified. Besides that, Kiri needs you to create a spy network, one that will allow us to hold out against the other four great nations, considering our number of ninja has been greatly lowered." Naruto nodded, understanding that part, but what he didn't get was why Mei was willing to put him in this position. For all that he knew of Mei, the woman knew little of him. This curiosity showed slightly in his eyes, resulting in the red-head continuing.

"There are a few requirements though." She said, a hint of danger reentering her tone.

"Of course." He replied, elegantly and calmly.

"First, we will need to spar. If you are going to be in charge of a good portion of the village I need to know just how strong you are." Naruto nodded, that made sense. Mei had never seen him going all out, even if he couldn't now.

"Second, no more holding back information from you network." The feeling of danger increased, radiating off from Naruto now as he slowly moved off the bed, eyes icy cold.

"Impossible. What if your office is compromised? The Kage office is the highest target for spy activity, and my reports would cross your desk like any other. If I am to serve Kirigakure, then something that damages the village will not be tolerated." Mei raised her own killing intent to counter Naruto's, emerald matching sapphire as the room heated up and the scent of heated rock engulfed the area.

"And what makes you think you have a choice Naruto-kun?" She asked, sweet smile perfectly in place before she continued.

"You can always tell me everything from your base of operations." It made perfect sense to Mei, but it was shot down in a moment from a well-placed question.

"And when enemies of Kiri notice you are frequenting a single place? What then, Mei-sama?" Mei's aura died down as she thought of that, trying to figure out a way around Naruto's logic, but it was pointless, as the man continued.

"Anything involving Kirigakure will be forwarded immediately to you, and if it's important enough I'll come myself. But a spy network is a dangerous weapon in our world, and if more than person knows everything it does it becomes useless." That much was certainly true. That gem of wisdom held its origin in a very old saying. "_Three people can keep a secret, if two of them are dead._" The killing intent in the room vanished as everything calmed down, Naruto's logical refusal having won the dispute, for the moment.

"Very well then. Third, you will have to gain my approval before taking action on anything other than emergencies." Naruto nodded at that condition, it was a universal one for village leaders dealing with the darkness. The only exception had been Konoha, with Danzo holding up the village in complete secrecy from Sarutobi, or trying to at least.

"My final order is simple. I need you to open up to me. I will never be able to fully trust if I know so little about you, and the position you will hold requires a great deal of trust." Naruto looked at her, for several minutes, before speaking.

"Very well. Shall we start now?" Mei blinked in slight surprise, but nodded, almost eagerly.

"I'm Naruto, I like tea, seals, and sparring. I dislike traitors, arrogance, and people who cannot become serious. Hobbies include cooking, reading, and training. Goal for the future…not sure at the moment." Mei nodded, having learned a lot about the man from just those few words. The style of introduction was quite common in the ninja world, allowing skilled shinobi to get to know a comrade without giving too much away. Analytically, Naruto's statements meant several things.

His liking of tea showed an enjoyment of peace and quiet, a brief moment of calm in the maelstrom of a shinobi lifestyle. Seals showed an artistic flair, a creative side to him that could prove problematic for enemies. Sparring showed that he was capable of embracing himself in the chaotic way of a ninja, yet little bloodlust, the act of sparring not requiring death. Disliking traitors was common amongst shinobi; the act of betrayal was something that could utterly destroy a shinobi. There were not many that a shinobi trusted, and when betrayed it always left a mark. Disliking arrogance and people who could not get serious proved what she had already known, Naruto was a serious person, both in personality and about his career, and both of those stopped one from reaching full strength.

An enjoyment of cooking and reading showed a like for the domestic side of things, a value for what the shinobi life protected. Shinobi existed to keep war from engulfing the life of regular citizens, changing the shape of warfare from public to private. Before shinobi the Samurai way wound up destroying thousands of innocent lives, in a war between shinobi villages there was much less innocent death. A hobby of training showed that he took his skills seriously, refusing to allow himself to slip, which was very good.

So, all in all, Naruto seemed to be a calm, serious person, shinobi to the core, yet knew how to relax.

Mei smiled at him, warmly this time rather than the sweet, sickening smile she had used for the better part of their time together today. She understood him a bit better now.

"Very well then, I am Terumi Mei. I like heat, peaches, solitude, and rivers. I dislike traitors, crowds, and wasted potential. My hobbies include training, reading, and dancing. My dream for the future is to bring Kirigakure back to power, and raise a nice family of my own." Naruto evaluated her statements as easily as she did his, except she had given him far more then he gave her, despite what she thought to the contrary. Picking up many things out of something small had become a survival skill for him.

Liking heat was straight from her bloodline. She controlled lava and steam, both of which were incredibly hot, and as such a heated area likely felt safe to her. Her like for solitude and dislike for crowds indicated some sort of trauma or hatred from others in her youth, before she was strong enough to stop it, and it was likely directed at her bloodline. It also showed a more quiet and considerate nature, the pressure of crowds feeling uncomfortable to her. Along with that was a typical shinobi fear, the fear of enclosed spaces with a large amount of people. If you were in a situation like that, especially as a kunoichi, no good would come of it.

Liking rivers could be interpreted as many things, but in this case it was most likely a love for the Land of Water, rivers being quite common in it. It also translated for a liking of calm natured people, or those who seemed calm on the surface yet could become a raging rapid when provoked. Disliking wasted potential indicated that she had a teaching nature, both loving to learn and to teach, and it was also possible that she had a deceased sibling who had died because they didn't train to their full capacity. That was backed up by her own love for training, and could explain her reading as well. She didn't want to join the deceased member just yet, and wanted to make a mark on the world.

Dancing was perhaps the most varied of her hobbies, and the fact that it was a hobby rather than a like meant that she was a serene person so long as the right buttons weren't pushed. That had been backed up by his own observations of her; she was generally calm and considerate of others. Her love for dancing indicated a natural grace and poise, one that gave her a natural skill for elegant, deceptive taijutsu. It also showed that she preferred relaxing activities and calm discussions, definitely not being a Tsundere woman, like Tsunade or his former teammate Sakura. Her enjoyment of peaches as a food also backed up that theory.

So, all in all, Mei was a kind woman with a bad past, skillful and intelligent, a love for knowledge, and a serene demeanor.

Naruto stood, stretching slightly and rolling his shoulders before speaking to Mei.

"So, shall we spar?" Her head tilted slightly to the right, a curious gleam in her eyes.

"You are still injured." She responded, causing a slight smile.

"My only injury is to my speed. I am limited to mid ANBU speed for a while, and for a spar that is all that's necessary. Besides, it's a good opportunity to test out my eye." She thought on that for a moment, before agreeing. Rising gracefully from her chair, she walked beside him to an open training ground, a private one.

~Break~

Naruto stood across from Mei in a clearing, both standing in a ready position. They had been about to begin when she posed a question.

"Why are you not using your katana? You have always used it against your opponents." She queried, curious, before moving to attack him, left arm swiftly striking at his sternum. He replied as he deflected the jab away, moving to counter with a fist to her stomach.

"This is a spar; I am not aiming to take your life." A flash of anger as she twisted away from the fist, her knee coming up to strike his kidney.

"Do you not believe that I can handle it?" His hand caught her knee, flinging it to the side as his other hand arced towards her chest.

"Quite the contrary, I know you can." She slapped his hand away, using the momentum from his throwing of her knee to spin-kick him.

"Then why do you not use it?" He leaned back, enough to avoid the leg, which was still bent at the knee, his own knee snapping up in an attempt to strike her stomach.

"As I have said, this is a spar." She was the one to tilt back this time, the knee skimming the stomach before stopping and withdrawing as she countered with a swift jab towards his neck.

"As such…" He tilted his neck and head to the side, the jab missing by a hairs breadth, his hand stabbing at the now-exposed elbow joint.

"This battle is for both sides to learn. If I was to use my katana…" Her other arm stopped his, the hand next to his neck attempting to chop at it,

"I would be coming at you with the intent to kill." His back bent quickly, just enough that her chop brushed his hair, his second arm coming up in a palm-strike towards her stomach.

"The fight wouldn't last long then." She blocked the strike, with the arm that had previously been holding his, the one that had chopped at his neck coming down in a fist to strike his head.

"Underestimating someone will get you killed." She said, no longer angry, just curious. He side-stepped, the fist whizzing by his ear as he straightened up, an uppercut heading towards her chin and a jab towards her heart.

"Not at all. I say that because fights between high-level shinobi never last long." She tilted sideways, her position allowing both strikes to miss as she snapped off a punch towards his chest.

"What do you mean?" His arms stopped moving forward, bending at the elbows to catch her wrist in between them before pushing it back.

"How long was your fight with Yagura?" She sent several punches toward him with the same arm, the man deflecting them skillfully.

"No more than fifteen minutes." She said, somewhat bitterly, as she moved closer, an elbow-strike moving towards his head. It was somewhat of a sore point for her how quickly she was defeated. He raised an eyebrow as he knocked her elbow off course, the strike flying harmlessly over his head as he struck at her armpit, the arm far to extended to retract in time.

"You haven't been in many high-level fights have you?" Her body spun around to dodge his strike, the same fist that just whizzed over his head striking towards his face.

"I've only been Kage-level for about a year, so no." His hand moved up, knocking the fist up above his head as his leg kicked out at her knee.

"I see. In that case…" her foot blocked his before kicking it to the ground to gain momentum, snapping up towards his face in an incredible display of flexibility considering how close they were.

"You should know that S-rank shinobi fights rarely last more than twenty minutes." Her eyes widened slightly in shock, but was brought right back to the fight as Naruto tilted sideways, the kick easily missing as his elbow struck at her gut.

"Every mistake is taken advantage of…" she blocked the strike, but was taken off-guard as his other hand hit the back of her knee, her leg having still been extended.

"Every movement is a risk…" the pain from her knee distracted her, allowing his fist to strike her across the chin, sending her stumbling back.

"Every breath you take could be your last." Killing intent blasted through the clearing, far more then Mei had ever felt before. The earth itself cracked as it struggled to rise to the will of a wielder, without chakra. The air heated up, but Mei didn't like this heat, it was a wet heat, one that promised dehydration and death. The water in the air, usually cooling and pleasant, heated up as well, turning from nice to sticky and hateful, sweat beading on Mei's brow.

"A Kage-level fight takes less than twenty minutes not because of lack of skill, but because of the incredible amount of it present in the battle." The killing intent vanished, allowing Mei to breath properly again. He walked over to her as she straightened up, an extremely serious look on his face.

"You have the skills Mei, but none of the experience. The only fight you've ever been in with someone of your level was Yagura right?" It seemed rhetorical, but she nodded anyways. He sighed, before walking back to where he had been, taking up a ready position.

"Come at me with the intent to kill Mei, and let me show you the difference between a battle between Jonin-level, and a battle between Kage-level." She looked uncertainly at him, but did as he asked. She knew he was strong enough to take it.

Her chakra heated up the air, the earth starting to melt slightly as she kicked up the pressure, but frowned slightly as Naruto once again gave no reaction. She was at his side in an instant, fist arcing through the air towards his cheek, only to find he _wasn't there!_ His head had tilted back, and a slap hit her face, cheek stinging as she looked askance at him. It had only been a distraction, one that allowed him to dance around her, knee slamming into her gut and elbow striking her back once she was forcibly bent over.

She hit the ground, hard, and before she could recover a kunai was pricking into the back of her neck, a clear sign that he could have killed her. He got off her, letting her stand up, still a little short on breath, looking at him incredulously.

"How?" Was all she managed to choke out. Those icy cerulean eyes stared emotionlessly at her as he explained.

"In a fight of this level _everything_¸ and I mean **everything**, is used against you. The short spar was more than enough for me to figure out one of your tells, and use it to avoid your attack, despite your greater speed. After all, it matters little how fast you are if I know what you're going to do as soon as you make a decision to do it. The slightest shift of body weight is enough to tell an observant opponent exactly what's going to come next, whether it is a technique or a taijutsu attack. Yagura knew this, you didn't. You spar with jonin, elite perhaps, but your highest sparring partner is merely _borderline_ S-rank, and there is an incredible amount of difference between borderline, and the weakest of S-rank ninja." He shook his head, blond bangs swaying with the movement.

"Why am I even explaining this? The only way to learn it is through experience, and that takes time, time neither of us have." Naruto shook his head again. Mei was good, that was for sure, but she had never been out-classed in a battle, never had to gain the instincts required for a fight like this.

Fights between genin could be intense, but they were usually longer than any other. The lack of skills and strength wound up with a long-lasting fight, turning into more of an endurance fight than an intense fight to the death. There were exceptions, but the rule was that a genin fight typically lasted twenty to thirty minutes.

Chunin level fights were shorter, not often taking more than twenty minutes. By this point the ninja involved had had intense training, and as such knew how to end a fight quickly, and why it was important. In a world where you can be attacked at any time, waste was not something that was wise.

Jonin fights rarely lasted more than fifteen minutes, more often around ten. A jonin had undergone intense training, and as such never wasted a movement. Mistakes were costly, often causing loss of life, but if you survived your mistake you gained in experience and skill, knowing not to do it a second time.

ANBU fights varied, for it depended on the skill of those involved, varying from ten minutes to a half hour.

Kage-level fights, such as the one Mei fought Yagura in, only lasted more than five or six minutes if they were playing around for the better part of it in an attempt to wear the other down. By this point taijutsu, Ninjutsu, genjutsu, and other attacks were engaged at a level of speed and strength that was simply incomprehensible to normal humans. Even high chunin could often only see the reaction of the jutsu, not the jutsu themselves unless it was a massive attack. Every mistake was costly, and most were fatal. Every movement was at great speed, speed that would take a fully developed Sharingan to begin to see, unless the owner of the eyes was close to that level themselves.

That was why he was always forced to use so much chakra in his fights, because more often than not, he fought people faster than him, people who had reached that insane level of speed and strength.

Like he had told Mei, the only way to truly understand this was to fight, to battle with another person at your level. Her lack of experience in this kind of fight was as clear to him as the morning sun, because the effort she made to hide her movements stood out. That was how he knew. Lower level shinobi knew to disguise their movements, to deceive or risk being deceived. Higher level shinobi knew better. The greatest way to hide something was to put it in plain view, yet disguised as something else. A true shinobi found the flow of battle and immersed themselves in it, letting it hide their movements and skills for them, using everything to gain an edge.

"Then we'll make time." Mei's emerald eyes glowed with passion, slight anger, and desperation.

"I can't afford to lose again Naruto. If the strongest ninja in a village can lose this easily, then what does that mean for the village? I need to learn this Naruto, whatever it takes." He looked at her, crimson hair blowing with the force of her will.

"You'll be in a lot of pain." Her eyes showed that she didn't care, and the two made ready again, beginning the lessons that Danzo had pounded into Naruto's head. It would be several hours before they left the training ground, and the rest of their time would be spent preparing Kiri, planning how to bring it back up to full strength.

AN: So people both loved and hated my fight with Tobi. I got a lot of positive reviews on my **Tails of the Moon **Rasengan, which I find awesome personally, but one or two of you despise it. I admit that it's godlike and incredibly powerful, but it also has some nasty side effects. To be honest I put it there to develop Naruto's skills, along with a last-ditch offensive jutsu if necessary. As I've explained, Naruto has just been forcibly made into a more subtle shinobi, a valuable experience for him to be sure. This will also have some other side effects later on down the road.

Decius23, your concerns about Naruto being too strong are valid, but I had already planned ahead for that. Naruto is only able to keep up with this stuff thanks to Danzo and his own natural potential, which is present in pretty much every Naruto fic out there. That's why him loosing access to a large portion of his chakra is such a big deal to him, for without it he simply won't be able to keep up. His experience from Jiraiya and Danzo, along with the high-level fights that he's been in also allow him to be much more prepared for things.

ChronoMitsurugi, come on man. You've been reading my fic for quite a while, and you've seen that I usually have a reason for doing things like that. Tobi is still alive, damaged, but alive. This is a ninja fic, and it will be proven in the next few chapters, which will be Naruto establishing Flood. Thank you for the compliment on the fight though, imagine seeing something like this fight in the show?

Ero-Sennin56, the person you based your username off of is a "plain jane earth type, and he is a freaking Sannin! At least you left a second review changing your opinion, and I thank you for that.

NeoJuubiSannin 1870, I hope you read one more chapter and found out that the rape/torture scene didn't actually happen.

Random Guest who flamed chapter one…I am a sick person, thanks for the compliment! Seriously though, make your own opinions before you insult someone, not taking a review from someone else, which was one review might I add, and forming opinions. I'll admit I based the beginning off some over-used plot devices, but I'd like to think that I've adapted and changed my story to move past that.

Hells Mercenary, interesting name, hope I answered your question about the beginning of my last chapter in this one. That little "letter" was Yagura's last moments before the genjutsu took over again, the last moments of a Kage who wanted nothing but the best for his village. He knows that the village itself is in good hands, but what about the constant warfare between villages? Kiri had been in a civil war, unable to take part, but once peace was restored they would be thrust back into it. This was a warning and a briefing for the one he though had the best chance of becoming the darkest shadow, Flood of Kiri. And you'll get an expansion of the Mokuton bloodline, just wait, I'm not done with it yet.

Thank you very much King Jahret, positive reviews like that make a writer's day.


	30. Chapter 30

Wind blew around a clearing, doing nothing to distill an oppressive heat. Two figures stared at each other in it, the heat radiating off of a red-haired woman. The scent of molten rock was in the air, the woman standing ready with one arm outstretched in front of her and the other huddled to her side, emerald eyes steeled in an intense glare at the blonde across from her. A leaf hit the ground, seeming to mark the beginning, for the woman vanished from view.

Her fist blasted towards the blonds face, dodged by a tilted head, as she twisted her body sideways to avoid the retaliatory punch. She kept up the momentum of her spin, her other hand spinning with her to strike at his side, deflected off course by his fist as he lunged towards her, elbow moving to strike her stomach as he bent down. She continued her spin, avoiding the blow as she attempted to strike his now exposed neck, but the man's continued momentum prevented it, turning a deadly attack to the neck into a harmless one onto his shoulders. He grabbed her arm, twisting it easily as he straightened up, but his hand was struck by hers, forcing him to let go. They were just a few inches apart now, and the man's eyes widened as an orange liquid dribbled out of the corner of the woman's mouth.

A steaming red liquid blasted out of the woman's mouth, at high speed, blasting over the man's now bent body, his upper torso perfectly parallel to the ground. The stream stopped as soon as it began, only for a slight blue aura to pulse out of the man's feet before he back flipped perfectly despite the awkward position, his feet kicking up towards the woman's face, right palm pressed onto the ground as she dodged by leaning back. Her hands grabbed at his ankle, attempting to halt his momentum, but she was a second to slow. His momentum carried his legs almost to the ground behind him before he turned it to his advantage, fingers digging into the ground before he twisted his wrist, using sheer strength to wrench his entire body around, both heels heading straight for the woman's side.

Her arms crossed, the incredible power behind the kick sending her back several feet as the blond-man flipped again, recovering his footing. His palm flashed up, several small bullets of water forming in it, multiplying into several dozen. Both the woman's palms came up, the exact same amount of water bullets forming, yet taking more effort. The two forces clashed in between the two, both shinobi kicking off the ground before the bullets met, clashing in a deadlock even as both sets of water canceled each other out. They struck out at each other, fists, kicks, and jabs being deflected or dodged in a high speed taijutsu fight. The woman's hands heated up, glowing red and steaming as she continued the fight, forcing the man onto the defensive and pushing him back, forced to dodge rather than deflect.

He leapt back, realizing his folly as the woman used the moment to go through hand seals, cheeks swelling up before four large spheres made of lava rocket towards him. He twisted around the first one, ducking under the second to roll under the third, using the momentum to leap over the fourth and kick towards the woman's face, the red-head only just getting her hands up in time to block it, only for more water bullets to strike her in the head, as the man kicked off the log he had landed against, and turned to face where the woman appeared, except he spotted a massive amount of lava being blown from her mouth. A slight blue aura appeared around his feet as he prepared to move, the woman's jutsu completing as she sent a massive lava dragon towards him.

The blue force covering his feet rippled outwards as he stepped off of mid-air, easily jumping above the heated creature and making it to behind the woman before she had time to react. Emerald eyes widened in shock as a hand grabbed the back of her dress, flinging her up several hundred feet above the ground in under a second. Flipping in the air to regain control, she went through hand seals and shot dozens of large lava bullets at the man below her, who was swiftly running on air to get to her.

His hand fell to the katana hanging at his hip for the first time in the battle, drawing the steel blade as it began to glow a brilliant white, sizzling as it came into contact with the air. He dodged several bullets before he cut through several more, the split halves of lava falling slowly to the ground as a shockwave blasted through even more of them. The rest were out of his way, flying down harmlessly around him towards the ground below. The woman's eyes widened in shock at the complete failure of her technique, but went through several hand seals, a long sword made of lava forming in her hand, clashing with the man's glowing katana. Several slashes were deflected, but it was obvious who the better swordsman was as he broke her blade, the tip of his sword slicing into her stomach, the intense heat of it cauterizing the wound even as it did so. But there was no pain for her, confusing her for just a moment, until a heel slammed into her spine, sending her rocketing towards the ground. She flipped again, facing the man who was now in the sky above her, sending a large stream of lava to match the spear of water he had flung at her, before flipping again to land feet first on the ground, the intense impact causing her to wince.

Her head glanced up, seeing the man falling towards her with incredible speed, lava leaking down her arms to her hands to form two lava kunai, which came up in an X to block the man's katana, massive shockwaves exploding through the clearing as a crater formed underneath them, the earth atomized from the sheer force. The woman winced in pain, arms jarred and legs nearly broken from the blow. She broke the deadlock, lava kunai flinging him back up into the air, soon following him up their only to be batted away from him by his sword. Lava orbs formed in the woman's hands, and flinging her hands up they multiplied, chains of lava forming in between the two, a ball and chain like weapon forming in each hand as she spun them around, before throwing them at the man.

It was useless, as the blue aura once again blasted out from his feet, allowing him to dodge the two attacks easily by jumping over them, yet he fell into the woman's trap as the ball and chain weapons curved around right behind him, striking his legs and wrapping around them, completely shattering the kneecaps. Or it would have, if it wrapped around him instead of a log. The woman whirled around, a white-hot kunai coming out to deflect a stab from an equally heated ninjato, the man's icy glare unnerving her as they clashed, the man's katana switched out for something less awkward at such close range. She dodged a stab, arcing a return one right at his neck, only for him to reverse his grip on the ninjato, parrying it with ease. She gritted her teeth, knowing that so long as he had a blade she couldn't beat him, so she had to separate him from it. More lava bubbled up inside her, but before she could a fist rammed into her stomach, causing the lava blast out of her body as the clone exploded, spraying the blond man with lava.

The woman rose slowly from the ground, eyes on the dead man, before it dissolved into nothing as a fist slammed into her face, the man suddenly appearing in front of her, a log shattering where she had been as a kunai stabbed at the man's side, the ninjato blocking it as he twisted around, the bottom of his foot slamming into a palm as she blocked. The ninjato heated up for a moment, slicing through the kunai with ease before slashing towards the woman's arm, only to be caught in bubbling lava once it got halfway through. A small smile appeared on the woman's face, right before she exploded, lava covering the entire clearing.

The red-head rose from the lava, just as she had from the ground moments ago, facing the slightly burned man from across the clearing, his ninjato having sliced straight through several trees and embedding itself into a bolder some distance away, far too far away for him to get to without giving her an opening, something she knew quite well. He still had his katana, but this was a point to her.

Lava arrows blasted out of her palms towards the man, elegantly dodged as he flowed around them, despite the massive number she just couldn't hit him. Every movement he made flowed into the next, not a single movement wasted. He made it through most of the swarm before she made a second move, hands flashing through seals before she slammed her hands on the ground, dozens of stone spears blasting up to impale him. They had did their job, impaling him right through, blood spraying out before it turned into crimson hawks and flew away, the woman only just breaking the illusion before being stabbed through the heart, only to crumble into dirt. The man sighed, katana appearing in his hand as he whirled around, the blade already singing as its glowing blade sliced a dragon of earth in half, the man appearing behind the crumbled remnants.

His blade flashed up, meeting two white-hot kunai in a deadlock as his head tilted to the side to dodge a point-blank water bullet, his other hand coming up to block a clones punch. Four emerald eyes narrowed at him, as his cerulean eyes turned to ice. The earth cracked underneath him as the clone dispelled into lava from the sheer force of his intent to kill, the woman's eyes widening in shock and _fear_ as a shadowed, nine-tailed beast formed behind him, roaring at her. A fist to the face broke the genjutsu, a bruise swiftly forming upon her cheek as she was sent flying back, flipping in the air and landing, still skidding back.

Her kunai came up again, just in time to block the still-heated blade, but a smirk crossed her face as the kunai vanished, the blade sliding through her body as it turned to lava. He was caught in the same trap again as the woman once again exploded, sending the katana to imbed itself right above the ninjato. She rose from the lava again, spotting an unharmed Naruto standing on some of the newly-formed rock from her lava attacks. She stood a chance now.

She was at his side in an instant, hand chopping at his neck as he leaned back, elegantly flipping his body around, perfectly perpendicular to the ground with his legs in the air. His palm hit the ground as his foot smashed into the red-heads head, strong enough to shatter the rock that appeared there. He launched himself up into the air, the same blue aura from before pulsing out of his hand as the woman appeared, leg sweeping low at what had been his head height. He got right above her, flipping again to heel-slam her head with immense force, obliterating the log that appeared in her place. He used the force from the shattered log to back flip over a lava spear, landing on the ground behind the red-haired woman.

She wheeled around, striking at him with a fist, deflected by his forearm. He sent a return strike; his fist blocked by her other hand. They broke the engagement, the woman spitting out lava bullets as the man's hands glowed. He slapped the lava balls away from him, hands slightly burnt despite radiating their own intense heat. The pair stared at each other, less than a second passing, yet in the high speed of the battle it seemed like an eternity.

Lava blasted out around the woman, but a bell ringing had it dissolving into the air as quickly as it had formed, allowing the red-head to nearly collapse on the ground, panting. She saw a slight smirk on the man's features, causing her to growl slightly. A puff of smoke from each of his hands announced the unsealing of two bottles of water, icy cold, which he handed to her after he sat down beside her. She took a swallow, its wonderful chill making her feel quite a bit better. She struggled up to a sitting position, leaning up against a bolder that conveniently appeared, causing her to glare slightly at him again.

"You're doing better Mei. That makes two minutes and five seconds that you can survive without passing out." Her glare intensified. She knew she was quite strong, but no matter how much better she got, Naruto grew every bit as much. It was almost as if he had been in the same position as her, forced to fight in a new way, and getting better through experience. They had spent the last four months working furiously to bring Mei up to par with what Naruto considered an S-Rank fight. Naturally, that wasn't all they did, the pair had worked intensely with the Daimyo, Chika the merchant queen, and several others to bring Kirigakure back up to where it should be, but it would take years.

"Two minutes and five seconds…how are you alive!" Her little explosion, which held no real anger behind it, seemed to amuse him, if the upturn to his lips was any indication.

"I swear to Kami I've killed you a hundred times or more in these little spars, and yet you never have so much as a scratch on you!" A slight teasing tone entered his voice as he responded.

"Not my fault you can't see through genjutsu." She sighed, the mock anger draining from her.

"I'm shooting jutsu at you, several of them in a single second in fact, you shouldn't be able to make a genjutsu, and how do you expect me to see through them? You never use the same one twice!" Then something else occurred to her, and it made her slightly sad.

"You let me knock your katana away didn't you?" He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Look at your shoulder." She looked at him curiously, before looking down, gasping in shock as she noticed the cut in the fabric.

"It was a necessary sacrifice, and if you had been even a millisecond later it would have completely ended the fight." She didn't say anything, knowing that both his blades were laced with an incredibly effective paralysis poison. Of course, it was only paralyzing because she was an ally. She should have known, Naruto rarely got caught in the same trap twice.

"Any advice?" She asked. She had grown to respect the blonds opinion, as a friend, a shinobi, and a teacher. Thinking over the fight, both what he needed to fix and what she did, a few things came to mind.

"Your observations for one. You are good enough at catching things when you have a moment to think, but if I was faster you would be dead." She nodded in agreement. For some reason Naruto limited himself to low Kage speed once he recovered, though she didn't know why.

"Second is the manipulation of your elements other than lava. Your other bloodline could have come in hand on several occasions during this fight, and your water manipulation could use some work. Next, pick up some kind of weapon. I'm not saying sacrifice your taijutsu, but I could have killed you several times because of your lack of one." She winced at that one; she knew quite well that she needed something better than kunai. She just hadn't found something suitable yet.

She waited a few minutes, but he gave no more advice, so they lapsed into a comfortable silence, recovering from their exertions. She spoke again, keeping an eye on the blonde as he rested against another rock, formed from cooled lava.

"You continue to amaze me though, Naruto-kun. It's so hard to read your movements, and yet once we got a bit closer you could actually warm up, rather than the icy killers I've seen who had anywhere near your level of skill." A brief, thanking smile appeared on his face, but he said nothing, content to simply watch the trees blow in the wind. The further he got in his Sora Sennin training the more he loved the wind. Mei however wanted more than this. She was mature enough to admit that she was beginning to crush on the blond, if she hadn't had one before, and wanted to know more about him. For all the warming up he did, he was still rather quiet. She was surprised when he spoke after a few minutes.

"You have the same potential Mei; you just haven't been forced to unlock it yet." He stretched, yawning.

"I have to admit though, you're getting better. You've been pushing me hard, something I hadn't thought would happen for another month at least. You should proud." There wasn't much more for either to say after that, but it left Mei pondering on how to get closer to the blond enigma. A few minutes later they left the ruined clearing, the place having massive holes in the ground that were filled with obsidian rock.

~Break~

A door shut slowly, the woman closing it stretching with a loud sigh of happiness. The brown-haired woman had just gotten off from work, being the secretary of the Hokage was no small thing. She was forced to keep Tsunade awake and on task, regardless of what it was, and the blond Hokage made it incredibly difficult for her, often attempting to get drunk on the job in response to the various things she was forced to deal with.

To be perfectly honest, Shizune didn't really mind her teacher and Hokage getting drunk; it was her insistence on doing it while in the Kage office that grated on her nerves. This left her with a very large workload, as she had to sort the paperwork, cart it to and from the room, read _every_ document that came passed her in order to make sure her mentor hadn't done something stupid in a drunken stupor, because despite her very best efforts Tsunade still managed to get drunk.

She was so tired from the immense amount of work she had done that day that she never even thought to check for intruders, something she had done nearly every day of her life, and on this one day it cost her, the woman having fallen prey to a sleep genjutsu as she passed out on the ground, a brown-haired man appearing from the shadow's to crouch next to her, swiftly and cleanly stripping her, not a single piece of clothing even slightly damaged, no DNA or chakra left upon them.

A soundless, cloudless unsealing revealed a brush and a container of ink, along with a syringe filled with a red liquid, swiftly injected into the ink. The needle was stabbed into one of the brunette's veins, drawing out her crimson blood, before it to was injected into the liquid. A long sequence of hand seals, nearly a full hundred of them, was formed by the brown-haired man, the bottle of ink and blood glowing the entire time, before it ceased, right as he stopped making seals.

He picked up the brush, flipping the Hokage's secretary and assistant onto her stomach, revealing her back, his hand wandering slowly over it as he dipped the brush in ink. His eyes narrowed, speaking to himself.

"There." And he began to write, forming dozens of elegant kanji in a few minutes, hand almost a blur as black ink spread over her entire back and neck, originating from and circling a very small point on her lower back. His fingers glowed blue as chakra raced through them, his other hand going through seals once again.

"**Fuinjutsu: Loyalty."** The fingers slammed into her back, the woman's back arching from pain, almost enough to make her scream despite her unconscious state, but she didn't wake. The man paid no attention to this, continuing his work at an almost feverish pace as he painted more seals upon the back of her neck, trailing down her entire spine, before his hand once again glowed blue.

"**Fuinjutsu: Treachery." **This seal provoked a much less violent reaction, only a slight despairing moan. He flipped her onto her back now, using up the last of his ink in a small seal on her forehead, one on her hand, and using nearly half the bottle on a full bodied seal, covering her from head to toe, that took nearly half an hour to make.

"**Fuinjutsu: Knowledge. Fuinjutsu: Transmission. Fuinjutsu: Genjutsu." **His work complete, he completely redressed her, laying her sloppily on her bed, making sure that it seemed as if she had simply collapsed after her hard day's work, no sign of any of the seals on her body. He erased every part of his presence that was in her apartment, before vanishing, just as he had done several times before that night.

Safely back in his own hotel room, he flawlessly substituted with the Shadow clone that had been sleeping in his bed, the ANBU watching him not noticing a single thing. Hanzo smiled mentally, his Konoha spy network was complete, the second major hidden village had been finished, the surrounding country-side as well. That made Iwa and Konoha, and he was quite happy that it had been so successful.

His wanderings started off simply enough, posing as a shinobi academy dropout who took up a mercantile trade in an attempt to get by, with moderate success at it. Wandering traders were common enough throughout the elemental nations, even going so far as to have a guild of "Registered" traders, ones that could get into the Hidden Villages easier than most everyone else so long as a percentage of their earnings was paid to the guild, which in turn was paid to the Shinobi. Naruto was of course a member, a fairly new one, just a year old.

Anyways, he had set out, traveling through the elemental nations, sailing all the way around Lightning country so that he could start off in Earth, widely regarded as the most militaristic village around. Ironically, it was the easiest village to get into for a merchant, as they could always more equipment and supplies. Whereas Konoha had their own merchant guild, Lightning had a roaring trade with Iron, much more so than the usual trade, and Suna got their equipment from the minor countries of Tea and River, Iwa would accept any merchant willing to sell high quality ninja supplies.

He had done the same things as he did here, going after the "bureaucratic" ninja instead of what most spy rings preferred, the high ranking front line shinobi. It was generally accepted that the front line ninja would be able to send information about things quicker than others, but that was only because most spy masters could only corrupt a few people in each village, if any, and there was always the chance of betrayal.

Not so with his system, no, Naruto had developed a masterpiece in his most humble opinion.

First, he spent a few days in the village frequenting the bars around what was generally referred to as "quitting time." This was when most of the chunin and jonin frequented the bars, and there was always someone complaining about their job. It wasn't active shinobi, oh no, they went to bars to get drunk, not bitch about the fact that they had terrible jobs. Those who complained were the chunin, or retired and crippled jonin who still wished to serve Konoha, who were assigned desk jobs, and it was most often the chunin complaining. A few rounds of Sake for the "Protectors of the Village and our livelihoods" later and he could skillfully wheedle just which shinobi was assigned where out of them, all completely without having it seem like he was trying to find anything out. Practice makes perfect in that regard, he got a large amount of practice with his spy network in Kirigakure.

All that was left then was deciding which areas to target, as he needed at least two per area of paperwork. Tracking his chosen ones to their place of residence was easy, as was sealing them. As it stood currently, he had upwards of thirty spies in the Hidden Leaf Village on the Shinobi side alone, with fifteen more civilians as well. However, the real genius in his plan wasn't in the numbers, or in the backup's he had in place, but in the ninja he chose.

Every time a shinobi was sent out on a mission, the necessary paperwork was immediately filed and stored, temporarily of course, to be kept safe for eternity in secure vaults in case they were needed. The only exceptions to this rule were the top secret above S-Rank Missions, and even then there were the suppliers required for such serious tasks. A shinobi force was all about supply, and having spies in every single department in the paperwork section ensured that he would know every major movement amongst the village, hold files on every shinobi, including ANBU, and have a fairly good idea on the various missions each ninja was sent out upon even before the mission was undergone. With his latest "acquisition" for his spy network, the Secretary of the Hokage and the blonde woman's most trusted shinobi, he would quickly know everything of importance amongst the village.

Sorting paperwork was often overlooked in scale of importance, but in all honesty someone who worked in even a humble records department could cause the village serious trouble if they decided to go rouge, which was why ANBU forces intensely trained in observation were put in every high-risk area. If it dealt with sensitive information, ANBU were there, undoubtedly. One thing that had always amused Naruto was how visitors to Konoha saw the two chunin gate guards who were always there during the day, seemingly lazy and always in good humor, as the "face" of the village. The sayings about first impressions were quite true, as those two "chunin" were elite ANBU, masters of observation, taijutsu, and their respective elements.

It was incredibly effective, and he was already getting some good information involving some of Konoha's more…eccentric Jonin that he might be able to convert to Kirigakure's ranks. One of whom he was intending to deal with in the morning, a rather surprising shinobi who he had never thought would possibly betray Konoha. It seems his "death" had caused a fair few changes in certain people.\

~Break~

Hattori Hanzo walked out of the Leaf Hotel, a middle-class hotel for travelers, cheap enough to be affordable on a tight budget, yet good enough to get service from even some richer shinobi, preferring those who were used to dealing with shinobi to the high class civilian resorts.

Shoulder length brown hair cascaded down over tanned shoulders, chocolate eyes sparkling with good cheer, a genuine smile upon his face as he returned many greetings from the "friendly" people of Konoha. A katana was at his him, mid-quality steel rather than the high class chakra steel alloy he was used to. He walked with an air of one who knew how to use the blade on his hip, making Konoha ninja wary of him upon firs sight, yet with further observation it became rather obvious that the man used this blade only for defense from the odd bandit who made it past a shinobi guard, for his gait was one of middling skill rather than the kenjutsu master he was.

Black traveling pants covered leather boots, designed for comfort and sturdiness while on the road. Tucked into this was a long-sleeved, dark blue shirt, button up, giving others the impression of professionalism, without getting the stuffy aura that is often placed with a professional nature. The smile and twinkle to his eyes also ensured that people let down their guards around him, and it was thanks to this that he was able to gain access to the shinobi memorial stone, where his target was most likely to be. The new chunin who had obviously just been promoted had attempted to stop him, but a simple request to pay his respects to a dead relative, along with a name, was enough to get access, Hanzo walking into the clearing, standing in front of a large black stone with hundreds of names on it, one of several. A silver-haired shinobi sat in front of it, hair defying gravity in a unique upside-down fang-like style.

As if his hair was not odd enough, the man had the vast majority of his face covered by a black face mask, coming up to just under eye level, and the slanted Hi-Tae-Ate covered his left eye, leaving only the right grey orb exposed to the world, a little bit of fair skin surrounding it. Baggy black pants covered his legs, bandages wrapped around his right thigh, along with a kunai holster attached to it. A black shirt was covered by a green Jonin vest, some sort of tight suit underneath it which was attached to his mask.

This man was HatakeKakashi, elite Jonin of Konoha, and currently a mere shadow of his former self.

He had a full bottle of Sake near him, which he took occasional sips from, the liquid somehow passing straight through the mask to the mouth underneath, and a sealing scroll was at his hip, likely full of more Sake. An orange book also lay beside him, completely untouched, even weather beaten, as if it had been left exposed to the elements, left in that exact spot for some time.

He sat next to the man, passively ignoring the curious drunken gaze directed towards him as he offered prayers to the gods for the only people in this village he had cared for who had died, Namikaze Minato and UzumakiKushina. He saw no point in hating his parents for certain things, though once he got to the afterlife he was going to severely damage the blond Kage for failing to ensure that Naruto would be taken care of correctly.

"Why are you here?" The slightest hint of a slur in his otherwise depressed voice, nowhere near the easily amused, lazy tones of the man he had known.

"Paying my respects." He stated, before questioning the other man.

"You?" The one-eyed man stared at him for a few moments, a tear beading up in his eye.

"Drowning in regret." He said bitterly, taking a long pull from the sake bottle. Naruto, still in Hanzo persona, raised an eyebrow, curious that the man acknowledged what he was doing, yet did nothing about it. Kakashi seemed to notice his false confusion, taking another long pull before speaking.

"You're new to Konoha aren't you?" The question was rhetorical, but Naruto nodded anyways.

"Well in that case, I suppose I can tell you. It's not like it's a secret after all." The Sake was impairing the man's judgment, either that or he just didn't _care _about the possible consequences or if Hanzo was an enemy spy.

"My name is HatakeKakashi, Elite Jonin of Konoha and supposed genius, from a minor clan full of geniuses. My father, HatakeSakumo, committed suicide because he followed the rules this village had ingrained into him, putting his teammates before the mission and being scorned by damn near everyone because of it. He killed himself to regain the family's honor, in an attempt to make up for his mistake…I'm considering doing the same." Kakashi continued to drink from the bottle as he spoke, draining a full quarter of the bottle in one go in the pause before he admitted to considering suicide.

"A boy that I considered a little brother, and still do, died because of my stupidity and arrogance, and that broke the heart of one I grew to consider a sister, and not long after that I killed her. The man I considered a father died not long after that, and I was too weak to uphold my promise, eventually resulting in the one who should have been my little brother dying at my hands rather than come back to the village." He finished the bottle about halfway through, a new one popping out of the scroll for him to chug after he finished. Naruto remained silent, rather happy that no one else was around, as several things he was about to do would get him arrested, and likely killed.

"The last one, who was he?" The masked figure stopped drinking for a moment, another tear leaking down his eye as he glared at this civilian who brought up bad memories.

"UzumakiNaruto. I suppose you want to know why he refused to come back? Or why I killed him?" He downed another bottle, not waiting for an answer. It seemed that now he had begun, he was unable to stop.

"He was assigned to track down a traitor, I assume he let him get away so we would be distracted from his escape. In fact if it hadn't of been for my arrival he would have most likely faked his death, making it seem like that boy had killed him." Another tear fell, soon joined by a second as his grey eye hazed over, lost in the memories of the fight, the events rolling off his tongue exactly like they had happened.

"I confronted him, trying to talk him down, it didn't work. And so we began to fight. He held the upper hand for most of the battle, having surpassed me in all but ninjutsu repertoire, and it is possible that he had done even that, if unlikely. Eventually I used my most powerfuljutsu against him, and he returned it with what I assume to be his strongest, and it was obvious to us both that his was stronger…but." The memory itself flashed in front of his eyes.

_Naruto gave a light smirk to Kakashi as the man poured every ounce of chakra he had into his jutsu, and it made no difference in the clash. Kakashi was steadily pushed back, nothing but sadness in his eyes._

_Naruto smiled at him, and ended his Rasengan._

_ Kakashi's eye widened in horror as his Raikiri destroyed the blonds heart, Naruto's dying smile being etched into his memory even as blood poured from his Sharingan eye, an odd pinwheel forming in it for a brief moment. Kakashi ended the jutsu, holding his former student close as Naruto's last, whispered words reached his ear._

_ "Don't…regret…this." Crimson tears fell from Kakashi's eyes, heedless of his injuries as he howled his grief to the world._

"He didn't want to kill me, but knew that if he was to take the time required to subdue me without killing me the others would be all over him, the backup that was coming. So he ended his technique…causing me to kill him." The tears ended, but the sorrow remained, another long pull from a new bottle being taken.

"I couldn't even bury him, for his body for the last of a demon's chakra devoured his body." A low chuckle formed then, almost insane.

"If I didn't know already, upon my return I would have been quite aware of just why he chose death. The civilians were happy. Fucking happy!" Anger exploded out of him, killing intent starting to pour as a smell of flesh, burned from electricity, ruled the air.

"They were happy that the man who had saved their ungrateful lives for every day of his existence was dead. The man who stopped not just one, but TWO of the fucking BIJU from destroying Konoha. And on top of that, they didn't even carve his name onto the memorial stone, the one that was created and made so that _every _shinobi who died in combat would be remembered. Even despite the fact that officially, Naruto was killed by Orochimaru, even if I was the one to kill him." More Sake flowed down the Jonin's throat, tears once again flowing down his face, his mask becoming stained with the water.

"Three people know that, four with you. The last thing Tsunade did for the boy was ensure he would be honored. Tell it if you want to, or don't. I honestly don't care anymore, this bit of information couldn't hurt his reputation anymore." Hanzo's eyes narrowed at Kakashi, as he spoke.

"There is something else as well." It was a statement, but it caused Kakashi to nod anyways, finishing his third bottle of Sake. A grey eye turned to him, glazed over in grief and self-hate.

"I was willing to go with him, and help him, but because I thought he would have a greater chance of success…to leave…I tried to bring him back. Thinking it over…he had to of been planning it for a while." That shocked Hanzo, he hadn't thought the older man would have been willing to go with him. Now a slightly insane laughter bubbled up from deep within him, coming from deep within his stomach and rocking the man's entire frame, tears flowing freely, even from underneath his Hi-Tai-Ate.

"After all, what do I have in Konoha?" That got the man thinking. He knew when he came here that he was going to make Kakashi recover; after all he owed the man that much for his training. However…this would provide Kiri with a valuable agent, and himself with a valued friend. Despite this the area wasn't safe, even if there was no one that he could sense. His hand glowed green for less than a second, pressing against the drunken Jonin's stomach. The eye narrowed as the man instantly sobered up, one hand at his Hi-Tai-Ate so fast Naruto hadn't even seen it move.

"Who are you?" Hanzo's head cocked to the side as he calmly removed his hand from the Jonin's stomach, heedless of the kunai at his neck.

"Someone who knows Naruto." The shock was clear in the man's eye, recoiling as if physically struck. Hanzo gave him no time to form a response, standing slowly and dusting off his legs.

"Provided you meet me on the Nidaime's head tonight, I can put you in contact with him."

"He's dead. Weren't you listening? I killed him." A raised eyebrow was the silver-haired man's response.

"If you think Naruto would let you stop him from fulfilling his goals, you didn't know the blond anywhere near as well as you think you do. Meet me at nine P.M., come alone, and tell no one. If you do those, I will put you into contact with your friend…for a price." He vanished in pure speed, knowing Kakashi wouldn't tell anyone, a genjutsu placed upon him right before he was forcefully sobered ensured it.

~Break~

Hanzo smiled at the scene of Konoha from high up on the monument as Kakashi appeared behind him, completely sober and equipped for war. The man started off strong.

"Listen to me. If at any time I think you're bullshitting me I will kill you, slowly." He threatened, intense killing intent pressing at Hanzo, to no effect. In fact it even caused him a slight chuckle, making the man even angrier.

"Hatake-san, do you really think that I would lie to you? You're a legend, a very good one, and unlike most other people it seems your skills haven't degraded with your fall into becoming an alcoholic." There were several moments of silence, before the Jonin spoke again.

"So who are you, and how do you know Naruto?"

"Me? I'm Hattori Hanzo, a…comrade of sorts with Naruto. We happen to serve the same Hidden Village now, and let's just say that without him, I wouldn't exist. I approached you because you were one of two, maybe three friends he had while in the village, and I decided to give you a chance to see him again. You said you would have gone with him from the village, but the question now is would you spy for him? For me?" Hanzo continued to stare at the wall, seeing quite well the struggle of his former teacher out of the corner of his eye. Kakashi and Jiraiya were the only ones who he would be able to contact again, and unlike with Kakashi, Jiraiya would never betray the village. Kakashi however…could be convinced.

In tune with his thoughts the older man sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair. '_What the hell do I do? I swore an oath to keep an eye on Naruto, both to Sensei and to myself. I failed it many times, yet when I finally met the boy and explained it he held no grudge. Hell, in our short time together I honestly came to see him as the brother I should have had. And Hanzo would get not benefit from lying to me, and no genjutsu can mimic a person perfectly unless you know them well, and as such I can simply demand to meet him to ensure it. Hmph…genjutsu…that certainly explains how Naruto would be able to fool me. Sensei…what do I do?'_ Kakashi was honestly considering betraying the village. After all, on Konoha's orders or for the sake of Konoha he had wound up killing almost everyone he had time to grow close to, even in ANBU.

"Let me see him." That would be the best way for him to find out, but a slight chuckle came from Hanzo, causing him to nearly grow.

"I'm disappointed Kakashi-_sensei_, your genjutsu detection skills have gone down." His eye widened, a shaking hand undoing the Hi-Tai-Ate as he pulsed his chakra, the genjutsu not dispelling. The metal plate hit the ground, the blue band fluttering around before it too landed on the ground, Kakashi's usual fang-like hair falling down around his head into a naturally spiky pattern. Two eyes stared wide at the now blond in front of him, shocked beyond all belief.

"N…N…Nar…Naruto?" He exclaimed, voice several octaves higher than normal.

"Not quite Kakashi. A shadow clone." The man nearly collapsed, even if it was just a shadow clone it was proof that the boy was alive. Clones couldn't live without the creator after all. However, the year of drunkenness had done little to dull his paranoia.

"Prove it." Voice icy cold. It was quite clear to Naruto that if he messed up then chance were Kakashi would go crazy and attack. Fortunately he had expected this. He made a few hand seals, a genjutsu seal ceasing to work for the first time in over a year, revealing the vertical scar over his left eye, the eyelid revealing the full scar when he blinked. There was another across his throat, and a third trailing down his chest from his neck, causing the man to gasp. Once those scars had vanished from Naruto he had thought they had healed, or Naruto had gotten them removed, but those things identified him. If that wasn't enough, what he said next proved it.

"The first thing you did once you saw these scars was panic, and the earliest moment you could you acted like a mother hen, panicking that I might not be able to speak. Then after I made a little condition, you dragged me into a restaurant, nearly killed both the waiter and the receptionist, and forced me to explain." The man sighed, before nearly dispelling the shadow clone in a powerful hug.

"Kakashi…clone." Only that reminder stopped him from destroying it. They both knew no one was around that day, so only those who had been there could have known the details. There were so many things he wanted to know, but the very first thing he asked him wasn't dealing with most of them.

"Have…have you been happy? Was it worth it?" The blonde paused to think for a moment, red hair and the smell of heat flashing before him for that instant, before smiling, nodding gently. Kakashi sighed, happy for the blond now that he knew he was alive. And he couldn't even blame him for what he did, because Kakashi knew he would have done the same. So what was left was what he had wanted to do since the moment that fight had started.

"I'm sorry Naruto. I'm so sorry." The boy frowned at him before speaking.

"You have nothing to apologize for. You were doing what you thought was right, and what would work. And in fact, you gave me the best cover possible, so thank-you for that. Besides, you've spent the past year wallowing in guilt; you don't need to do it anymore." Kakashi's head lowered again, before he raised it again, grief in his eye.

"Still I'm sorry." Naruto was going to continue trying to make him feel less guilty, but something in Kakashi's eyes told him to just accept it.

"I accept, and you're forgiven." The relief in Kakashi's eyes let him know he had made the right choice. Then the man frowned, something having popped into his head.

"So I take it you're Hanzo? What, are you doing back in Konoha?" A new voice spoke up, deeper than it Naruto's in keeping with the man who had visited him earlier. He whirled around, spotting the brown-haired man reclining in the shadows.

"Au contraire Hatake-san, I'm right here. Naruto-kun here just wanted to be the one to see you. The genjutsu was his idea as well." Looking at Naruto out of the corner of his eye, he saw the boy was completely at ease in Hanzo's presence, so he relaxed as well, though he kept his guard up and his Sharingan on the man.

"As to what we are doing Hatake-san, I thought it would have been quite obvious with my conditions earlier." The Jonin's eye turned to iron, but he sighed, staring at Naruto.

"Can I ask a few questions first?" Naruto nodded, but gave a caution.

"We may not answer them all though." Kakashi nodded, thinking it was fair enough. He considered his question, but figured out the first thing to ask quite quickly, owing it to his only Jonin friend.

"The information I give you…will it threaten Konoha?" Naruto thought it over for a moment before answering.

"Possibly. If Konoha goes to war against my village I will use the information you give me to our advantage, certainly, and I will also stop a great many missions that interfere with our interests, but otherwise I will only stockpile information. It will be a compromise of security, certainly, but you won't need to go out of your way to obtain anything." Kakashi cocked his head curiously at that, but shrugged.

"What will you have me doing?" Hanzo took over now, turning his attention to the stranger.

"Other than a scroll which you will be able to use to send messages to Naruto, you will be using everything you have to do exactly what you normally would, keep a close eye upon your village. Only now, instead of just reporting it to the Kage or dealing with it yourself, you also send a report about it on a second scroll to me. Keep an eye out of anything that seems interesting, and write it, and I'll take the rest. I'm even willing to pay you for your trouble." Kakashi sighed, half in happiness and half in guilt. He no longer loved Konoha, but the only friend he had left did, so he was happy that he wouldn't be doing any active betrayals. After all they could get the information from anyone, it was just more convenient to have a slightly trusted source there already.

"Is there anything else that I need to know for this…condition?" Hanzo shook his head, gesturing to Naruto as he melted back into the shadows.

"I have the two scrolls you need. The original made sure to give me enough chakra to last the night, so we will be able to catch up. I have several questions for you, and I'm sure you have many for me." Kakashi considered asking where Hanzo was going, but decided that he was better off not knowing.

"First things first then. Where have you been?" Naruto shook his head slightly, making Kakashi sigh, but understand. The boy didn't want to endanger his village on the off chance Kakashi was going to betray him.

"Fine…you said you've been happy. Found anyone special?" There was a slight teasing tone in his voice now. Kakashi was still under the impression that this was a dream, so he wanted to find out the things he considered most important before he woke up, and Naruto's happiness was it. He watched as the blond considered, for some time, before shrugging and saying "maybe. I'm not sure." He nodded, that was the way it went sometimes. Now for the second most important thing.

"Why the fuck did you do it Naruto?" Warm cerulean eyes iced over, and somehow Kakashi knew that for everything _he _knew about Naruto, the _truth _was _worse. _It was only confirmed as he began to speak, voice dead.

"I was the villages punching bag for _years _Kakashi. Then the Hokage refused to allow me to grow strong, refused to allow me to thrive. I would have never been truly loyal to a village that prevented that. However…have you ever had a pet?" Kakashi cocked his head curiously, before nodding, remembering Pakkun especially, the cute little pug had been the first dog he had ever met, and had become his first pet and summon once his father had given him to him. It was a treasured item, and one of the reasons he rarely risked the dog in actual combat.

"Imagine a shinobi of this village, or anyone really, after all the torment and abuse I've gone through, viciously murdering your beloved pet and laughing while they did it?" Kakashi's hands unconsciously clenched into fists at the mere thought, both of them knowing the answer. He'd kill them in a heartbeat.

"I got a pet, a rather cute little fox. The little ball of fluff and cheer loved me Kakashi, and because I got distracted I allowed her to be killed. I couldn't live in a place that would destroy something so innocent, and one that I disliked to begin with." Kakashi sighed, but before he could ask another question Naruto asked one of his own.

"Now, Kakashi. Why is it that when I came into this village I came upon a certain green spandex wearing Jonin, drunk out of his mind, sobbing in a deserted alley that he couldn't help bring his brother out of depression?" Kakashi winced visibly. He had known that his drunkenness hurt Gai, but not that much.

"Gai and I have always been close. In fact, that man is the reason I got through Rin and Sensei's deaths. His unwavering support has always meant a lot to me, and his ridiculous challenges have never failed to bring a smile to my face, especially with the various punishments he puts himself through when he loses. After I saved his life when we were children he was always there, trying to surpass me, like an annoying little brother that you secretly love to have around.

Your death, however, hit me harder than any other so far." The Jonin's eyes glazed over again as he retied the Hi-Tai-Ate around his Sharingan.

"I couldn't think, couldn't exist without your dying face embedded in my eyes. The only thing that took it away was Sake, so I drank. Tsunade's healed my liver from certain failure five times in the last six months. I drank and drank, hell the only thing that stopped my body from completely degrading was Gai literally dragging me away to train. I've gone on nothing but suicide missions, I've had nothing to live for." Naruto's raised eyebrow told something else entirely.

"What were my so called "last words" to you Kakashi." The man didn't even blink.

"Something impossible to obey. I had just shoved my hand through your heart. It didn't matter what you said, hell I only remembered because of the Sharingan." The blond sighed, but nodded. His hand came up, resting on the older man's shoulders.

"Well, I'm here, alive and well, and we'll be able to talk to our hearts content through the scrolls, so long as that ass Hanzo gets his information from you. So I don't want to hear of you even touching Sake for a few years, alright?" Kakashi narrowed his visible eye, and just like that the weight that had been on his shoulders for a full year seemed to vanish, the Jonin visibly standing straighter.

"So no reunion Sake? Oh, that's too bad. I happen to have some really good Sake from the Land of Iron that I was saving for…for a special occasion." Naruto's eyes widened in shock, the best Sake in the elemental nations being held by his former Sensei. He paid no attention to the little slip, easily guessing just what the man was saving it for.

"…I think I could be persuaded otherwise." An eye smile was his response.

AN: Another fight with Mei, and how Kakashi begins to recover.

Near15, the answer to your question is that far too often the main characters are the ones fighting defensively. They can't _afford_ to retreat, whereas the villains can spare the resources spent and start over later. Especially in Orochimaru's case. That immortality jutsu ensures he can wait as long as necessary.

Juniorreal my Naruto is currently a little over fourteen, but because of the Kyuubi his body is Seventeen, close to eighteen. It sacrificed an equivalent number of years in his lifespan though. So for an Uzumaki, he is just about to enter his prime.

Thorndsword, I must admit I'm curious as to why you think it was arrogance? Sure, there was confidence in her, a great deal of it, yet remember she is the second strongest ninja in the village of mist at this point in time. I'm sorry you felt that way though.

R. Peter, wow! You thought it was that good? I can feel my ego blowing up right now, thank you very much.

ChronoMisturugi, don't worry, Hanzo will be appearing more in the next few chapters. Not so much of this one, because of who he was recruiting and what he was doing, but definitely in the next ones. And I agree, Kyuubi is awesome, and the anime made it complete bullshit when Naruto actually managed to beat it. I chose the Juubi because of the sheer, legendary power behind it which in terms of amount, dwarfed even the Rikudo Sennin.


	31. Chapter 31

Shimura Danzo was having a surprisingly good day. Konoha was currently at peace, it's enemies quiet even in the shadow realm with the recent ceasefire, and all that was necessary for him to do was receive various reports upon the success and failures of the missions he had assigned. That was for later though, as he had planned out his day for maximum effect, especially considering he was too old to use shadow clones. With his morning tea he went over the various visitors to his beloved village, with breakfast he reviewed reports, he worked on the actual ANBU until just after lunch, and the rest of his day was spent training himself and his Root, along with the many requirements for up-keeping a shadow force. Naturally, his job was a great deal easier now that Tsunade was here, the legendary medic had actually read the entire folder of his Root reports, and officially reactivated it. This provided much needed funding, along with the no longer necessary of complete and utter secrecy. While everything was still beyond-classified, his Root could truly relax in the village they were protecting while off duty for the first time in…three decades, maybe a few years more.

Regardless, the one-eyed man had reasons for everything he did, and going over the visitors was a very important part of his day. More spies sneaked in through the front gate than any other area, and while most were let through with the knowledge that they were spies, and as such watched and fed false-information, there were always those that were a cut above the rest, those that even his Root and Danzo himself missed. Still, looking over the various visitors helped Danzo to catch more, or try and control the damage, his decades of experience in the art allowing him to have a certain sixth…well, eighth sense when something wasn't right. For a shinobi, there were seven senses, sight, sound, smell, touch, taste, instinct, and paranoia. The last was only considered a sense because a healthy sense of paranoia ensured a shinobi would survive.

It was this eighth sense that had him frowning into the still-steaming cup of jasmine tea as he surveyed the file on a traveling merchant. There wasn't much about him other than his entry papers, which naturally contained a wealth of information on him, but something just wasn't sitting right. It wasn't the almost brutal honesty about his skills, hell the man had failed the shinobi academy three times in Kiri, and twice more in a minor village. The man simply had no talent for chakra other than calling up the slightest pulse for using a sealing scroll, despite no small amount of skill with a blade. That of course was likely from being raised in Kiri, and having his teen years filled with a civil war. There wasn't anything more striking than your life on the line to make you learn something quickly. Sure, the man would lose to any trained shinobi, but for most bandits he was more than a match, which was why he felt comfortable without shinobi guards, despite the fact that he was a merchant. His barely applicable chakra was enough for him to use sealing scrolls, which meant he didn't attract attention from other than your run-of-the-mill highway men, so he wasn't likely to be attacked.

It wasn't his activities either, in Konoha the man had spent his first two day's touring the sights of the shinobi village, even going so far as to climb to the top of the Hokage monument to see the simply magnificent view of Konoha it provided, an activity that was both popular and unpopular considering the work to get up there. It seemed he also paid a visit to the memorial stone before he went about his business, indicating either a respect for the sacrifices of shinobi, which was likely, or he had known a Konoha shinobi who had died, also quite likely.

Then the man had gone about his business as a merchant, buying and selling goods that were of surprisingly good quality, but upon seeing deeper into his file he understood why. He was part of the Merchant's Guild, something the civilians so happily claimed would allow access to even the most restrictive of Shinobi villages _without _shinobi interference. Absolute bullshit, Danzo alone had infiltrated every single level of that guild, and he would be sending a Root member to get a file on this man.

Everything was on the level, no chance of this man being a shadow, which was the term he used for spies and the various organizations, but something was just getting Danzo's nerves to play up. Decades of work and training told him this man was more than he seemed.

He sent off the Root member, before going to his other source for answers. SenjuTsunade.

~Break~

Both Jiraiya and Tsunade were in her office when he arrived, and it was obvious that they didn't have good news to share. His only visible eyebrow rose almost immediately, and Jiraiya took the opportunity to answer the obvious question.

"Akatsuki." That caused a growl from Danzo. The organization was almost unknown, but their goal and three of their members were. They wanted the Biju, what for they didn't know, but they wanted it. And it was quite obvious that the organization was dangerous, as not only was it rumored that it was made up of solely S-Rank ninja at the highest echelon, but there were also three _confirmed_.

Uchiha Itachi, Die-Hard Konoha loyalist, even now the man was passing what information he could to both Jiraiya and Danzo, which was very little. Having killed nearly the entire Uchiha clan just to protect Konoha, and even going missing-nin for it, the Uchiha was as loyal as could be, and even now would sacrifice everything for the village.

Hoshikagi Kisame, a man who once had been to Kiri as Itachi was to Konoha. Danzo still didn't know why the man wasn't fighting for either the Mizukage or the Rebellion, but it concerned him. Whatever could steal a man like that's loyalty was something to be watched for.

And finally, Akasuna no Sasori. This was the only member that wasn't actually confirmed so far as Jiraiya was concerned, but Danzo knew he was there, controlling the strings from the shadows. Sasori was the head of the organizations counter-spy force, and was the reason why they had so little information on Akatsuki. His touch was all over Akatsuki's every encounter, Danzo recognizing it from serving beside the man in the Third Shinobi War. He had been the previous Sandstorm of Suna, head of Suna's impressive DUST organization, one that caused him severe problems even now.

"What about them?" He queried, voice emotionless despite the growl from earlier. Jiraiya's face darkened even further, Tsunade pouring Danzo a saucer of Sake, with a look on her face that said he was going to need it.

"I know neither how nor why, but they have been seen serving Iwa." Danzo's mental exclamation of '_Shit!'_ wasn't shown on his face as he reached for the saucer, pouring it down his throat without a second thought.

"Root will double its patrols and care in our operations, but I can only do so much if Iwa manages to ensnare an organization headed by someone who can control at least Three S-Rank ninja!" Tsunade nodded wordlessly. Even one S-rank missing ninja was cause for trouble, able to kill a dozen regular Jonin easily with their skills. Elites would give them a much harder time, being borderline S themselves, but there was a world of difference between S-rank, and borderline, and Danzo had very few shinobi that were borderline S in his ranks. High A, certainly, but few borderline.

"Why did Uzumaki die? The Uchiha, while easily chunin level, was no match for him.. We could certainly use his help here, his burden would be quite useful" Tsunade flinched for a moment, as did Jiraiya, as a sore wound was reopened, but Danzo had known the two had been hiding something from him for some time, and he had might as well use this opportunity to find out what. Plus, if it turned out the boy was still alive, his problems were made a whole lot easier. After all, Naruto had been low S-rank when he left Danzo, there was no telling how strong he would be now. The depressed voice of Jiraiya drew him from his thoughts.

"Kakashi killed him. All that we know is that Naruto was going to betray the village as well, but Kakashi stopped him. Naruto then willingly allowed Kakashi to kill him." Danzo's eye flashed with realization, and suddenly there was a whole new side to the Hanzo thing, one he hadn't thought of before. But that was for later, what was necessary now was that they would get to plotting how to damage Iwa's relations with Akatsuki. They simply couldn't be allowed to keep positive contact with Akatsuki. After a long and troubling debate, it was determined that Danzo would do everything he could to sabotage Iwa's relationship with Akatsuki, ensuring that Danzo at least would be busy for quite a while. Just before the meeting was over, Hanzo's file came back to the forefront of his mind.

"Jiraiya, before you go…" he said, stopping the man who had been about to return to his spy caught Tsunade's attention as well, the blonde Hokage having turned to her paperwork. He handed the file over to the Sannin, the man flipping through it, his high intelligence and own experience swiftly understanding what Danzo wanted.

"I don't see anything that would raise suspicion about this man Danzo. Why do you want me to waist my resources on him rather than use them for more significant things?" Danzo stared at the man, taking a moment to put his feelings into words.

"Something about him just raises my suspicions. I would be investigating him myself, but with Iwa's movements I need to focus on them. You on the otherhand have a bit of spare time, and can look into it." Jiraiya looked at the man for a few moments before nodding. It was most likely nothing, and he would have wasted time and resources, but in this business, it was better to be safe than sorry, and Danzo didn't usually investigate something so simple unless he had a bad feeling about it.

"It will take me some time, it's not my focus at the moment, but I should be able to finish it before a month passes." Danzo winced unnoticeably. A month was a long time in a shinobi lifestyle. By that time it was quite possible that this Hanzo would have vanished from site, all references and evidence of his existence gone. Or it could be a false lead, but he'd rather be proven wrong than ignore it and have it bite Konoha in the rear later on.

"Very well." The meeting broke up, there was nothing more to say, Danzo moving to counter Iwa, Tsunade working on the day-to-day management of Konoha, and Jiraiya returning to his spy network.

~Break~

Hanzo himself was currently plodding around the Land of Lightning, setting up spies everywhere. Placing spies in the Lands of Frost and Hotsprings was being accomplished by Shadow clones, only the major villages would require his personal attention. It took very little chakra for seals after all. His mind was on Kakashi, from the recently dispelled clone who had hung around Kakashi for quite some time thanks to a chakra storage seal, even making Konoha think he had spent almost a week there. It had been quite easy for Hanzo to puzzle out several things that had been troubling him.

First and foremost was how easy it had been to get Kakashi on his side. The man had even submitted to loyalty seals, making it very hard for Naruto to believe that Kakashi was actually sincere. However, once "Naruto" had begun to spend a fair amount of time around the recovering Kakashi, as well as speaking daily through the scrolls, it had been quite easy for him to find out why.

Simply put, Kakashi was fed up with Konoha. He had seen too many people who should have become heroes be ostracized and hated, himself even included, though he at least wasn't hated. It was a surprisingly common occurrence in Konoha.

For starters, there was Kakashi's own father, Hatake Sakumo. The man had followed the spirit of what the village preached, and had been hated for it, causing the legends suicide.

Then there was Jiraiya. The Sannin had always been perverted, sure, but now because he chose to sacrifice his reputation for the village in order to get places he otherwise couldn't the man wasn't even able to walk into a bar in Konoha without a large group of Kunoichi kicking him out, and he had been banned by the owner of every hotspring. Jiraiya was actually an honest man, everyone who knew him knew he was desperately in love with Tsunade, a woman who would never return his love, and as such he had devoted himself to making her happy. Even his many perverted antics were only to keep Tsunade's mind away from her past, which she was liable to linger on without distractions. Hell, the only time Naruto or Kakashi knew of that the man actually indulged in perverted actions was when he was going to see Tsunade, and that was only because if he didn't, he would be unable to stop himself from trying to woo her, something she had vehemently protested many times.

Then there was Mitirashi Anko. The woman had never done a damn thing wrong, and she was utterly despised by both shinobi and civilian of Konoha for what Orochimaru had done. Clear case of a scapegoat taking the blame.

There was of course, Naruto, and the entire Kurama clan. Finally, Kakashi was shunned from many civilian places and not just for his habit of reading Icha Icha wherever he went. No, the civilians feared him, and as such didn't want him around them. That had started after he defended himself from a group of drunks, who just happened to be the relatives of council members. The civilians had long memories.

Finally, it was what Kakashi considered his failure to protect and help the child of his Sensei and adoptive father-figure that had pushed him over the edge. For anyone else, Kakashi would likely kill the imbecile who thought to try and make him betray Konoha. It was only the fact that it was Naruto who was there that allowed Kakashi to accept betraying his home, and even then Naruto doubted he would actually fight against it. Even now, the only information the man passed along was information that might wind up threatening Naruto, which meant any mission involving the other villages, sole exception being Iwa. He wanted Naruto safe, and knew he was not a Rock ninja.

~Break~

The disguised Naruto had just been plodding along, minding his own business, when a large group of bandits appeared on the road. His eyes scanned the motley group, spotting and counting exactly 47 armed bandits, and another three who weren't armed. So, fifty in all, plus four strong chakra signatures in the trees. That could prove troublesome if they were Kumo ninja, the group would have clear sight if he used jutsu or anything above civilian ability really. Fortunately, none of them were…wait…the group in the trees were signaling him. It was a symbol everyone in the elemental nations knew, civilian and shinobi, with only slight moderations for each country, and even then it was still recognizable. It meant '_Ninja here, don't panic.'_It was generally used when they spotted civilians who had the possibility of interfering with their missions, or the civilian was in danger from bandits….just like his current situation in fact.

"So, I'm sure you know how this goes. Money, goods, that katana at your hip, any jewelry, and anything of value, step on it. Come on Hanzo-san, we don't have all day, and I'm sure a busy man like yourself has things he'll need to do after this." That got a raised eyebrow from the aristocratic man the bandits were facing down, and a question from his lips even as he slowly pulled his katana off his waist.

"Oh? I'm surprised that you actually knew my name. Seeing as I'm most likely going to die here, mind telling me who it was that sold me out?" The head bandit, the one who had spoken, and held the only high-quality weapon, sneered at him.

"And I'm surprised that you didn't know, but I suppose a brand new successful merchant such as yourself has to be rather ignorant. Oh, I suppose you thought your little sealing scrolls would keep your wares from being noticed, eh? That what little chakra you could use would save your skin, drop-out? I guess I can enlighten you, for one, small favor." Hanzo's eyebrow raised up again.

"Just what kind of favor could possibly be worth that information?" A wicked smile crossed the man's face before he drew his blade.

"You can be gang-raped." That caused some disbelief, from the shinobi in the trees as well as from Hanzo himself.

"That's not a favor, that's something forced." The man shrugged.

"Doesn't really matter to us whether your male or female, you have two holes we can use. But…considering you won't be in any shape to use this information after we get done with you…" the man chuckled before he continued, an erection obvious in his pants at the mere thought of raping someone. Several of the bandits looked disgusted, but like the man had said, many of them looked neutral, and more were eager.

"Merchant Tao was the one to set this little party up, for which I am quite thankful for. It's been a while since I've had an aristocrat." Ignoring the man's perverted ramblings, his mind rushed on everything he knew about Merchant Tao, which was quite a bit.

Tao was to Iwa as Chika was to Kiri, that being the most influential merchant in that country. What Hanzo was curious about was just what the man was planning. Hanzo had done nothing to threaten Iwa or his business; perhaps it was just the paranoid attempt of a powerful merchant to avoid the competition, but either way, it looked like Iwa and the surrounding nations was his next stop.

In the trees was a rather irritated group of shinobi, three of them at least. These three were chunin of Kumogakure, ones that had just gotten back from an exhausting mission only for their Kage's summons to inform them that there was a bandit camp near their expected arrival area, and an order to take them out before they caused trouble. That in and of itself was no big deal, the chunin could handle a camp with ease, even tired as they were, and fifty wouldn't really provide much of a challenge for their lightning techniques. No, what was actually irritating them was both the Jonin in charge of the mission, and the person in charge of the bandits.

The man in charge was one Sahashi Sahama, the only non-shinobi to ever enter the bingo book. Trained originally as a samurai in the Land of Iron, Sahama was considered one of the more dangerous men in the Elemental Nations. Not for any notable fighting skill on his behalf, but rather because of the man's incredible talent for both forming and commanding bandit and mercenary bands. In the past six months he had formed twelve of them, and ravaged a fair bit of Hot Springs.

Ni Yugito, the Jinchurikki of the Nibi no Nekomata, was the commanding Jonin for their mission. That was the problem, she was a Jinchurikki. Kumogakure was reputed to be one of the more tolerant villages, but the Jonin was not the person who fought in a war and saved hundreds of lives to gain that tolerance. As such, while many shinobi and civilians were neutral towards the woman who held the same potential as Killer Bee, the Jinchurikki of the Eight-tailed Biju, she had not done the same sort of things. Because of this, very few in the entire village would go out of their way to be friendly to her, and most would even shoot her down if she approached them. She was quite attractive, with blond hair and a lean, curved body, but that was where the attraction to her ended with most people, only physical, and they likely would leave as soon as they finished, if she let them get that far.

These three chunin just so happened to be a part of the group who had not liked her to begin with, and on top of that had been shot down when they attempted to woo her for the night, both on this mission and in the village beforehand. This caused them to be rather…reluctant to aid her, or follow her orders. In fact, if they weren't sure that A, the Raikage, would utterly obliterate them, they would most likely wind up leaving her behind. The continuing drama took their eyes away from the point of their anger and frustration.

The lone merchant drew the katana that had until now been sheathed, eyes cold as the steel that was slowly revealed to the sun.

"If you want it, come and get it." The three chunin cursed slightly, but the Jonin smiled. The man was every bit as tactically aware as a chunin should be, evidently having a great deal of experience in this sort of thing. She could tell he was a fairly talented swordsman, and the attack of some bandits or Sahama himself would ensure that the groups attention remained solely upon the fight, rather than their surroundings, allowing for an easier kill for the shinobi.

The leader growled, tilting his head and causing three bandits to charge Hanzo. The shinobi in the merchant scoffed, so slow and sloppy. Very few shinobi couldn't handle a bandit, it was only the numbers that could cause problems, and this would be no problem for the three chunin and one elite jonin level chakra sources in the trees. Hanzo proved Yugito right in those moments, sword descending to the point facing the ground, right hand gripping the handle, katana at his side and his left arm held diagonally to the ground, the confident stance of a veteran fighter.

Even as Hanzo ducked the first horizontal swing, the Kumo shinobi made their moves, three of them going through hand seals as the Jonin prepared to shunshin. Hanzo's blade stabbed into the second bandit, his other hand dragging the first bandit that attacked him into the path of the final ones blade, two dead in a matter of seconds as Hanzo wrenched his blade free, lightning blasting through every single bandit in the camp, a blond ponytail swinging behind the leader, Sahama's head hitting the ground.

It was over in an instant, the final bandit, the one who had killed his comrade, dropping to the ground, a kunai from the kunoichi deep in the back of his skull. Hanzo cleaned his blade on the body of the dead man, before sheathing it and bowing to the Jonin and chunin, his polished tone ringing out.

"Thank you very muchKumo-sans. I wasn't particularly enjoying the thought of guys fantasizing about me." That drew a snort from Yugito.

"Not so much the fantasies Merchant-san, I'd think it was more on the fact that they could fulfill them." He shrugged.

"It was obvious what his mind was doing to him, but I have to admit, I wasn't expecting to find a group of gay bandits today. May I know the name of my saviors?" The blond Jonin was about to continue when a dark chuckle rang out from one of the chunin.

"Don't bother wasting your gratitude on that bitch; she didn't do a damn thing. We killed the majority of the bandits, and I'll be sure to include it in my report." A cat-like growl resounded from the Jonin's throat, but she continued anyway, attempting to show professionalism in front of a potential client.

"The one who just spoke is Kiba, the other two are Shin and Ne." Upon his raised eyebrow she explained.

"From my knowledge they hated their birth names, and as such upon entering the shinobi forces changed their name." A soft "ah" of realization was her response.

"I am Yugito, a pleasure to make your acquaintance Hanzo-san." Another, more polite bow was her response, rather than the low bow of gratitude earlier.

"You seem rather unfazed by the death of these people, why?" Hanzo's head tilted lightly at the second interjection, this time by Ne.

"I survived. It's not the first time I've had to kill, and likely won't be the last." A nod was his reply. Yugito soon offered to escort him to his destination, provided he paid for the service, and he agreed, heading to Kumo in the company of a shinobi team. On the way there it was quickly obvious to Hanzo that Yugito was shunned from the normal populace, he knew why, but he would act as if he didn't. On top of that, he saw an opportunity to gain an agent for Kirigakure, even if it would take a while.

He drifted back to Yugito, who was covering the rear, the three chunin talking amongst themselves while throwing the occasional dark glance back at the Jonin. He spoke up, his low voice startling the woman.

"Why do you tolerate that, Yugito-san?" Just avoiding jumping slightly, she turned to face him, responding as she did.

"Tolerate what, Hanzo-san?" she asked, voice calm and controlled despite the particularly nasty glare the three chunin had just thrown her. His eyes easily told her she wasn't fooling anyone.

"I may not be a shinobi, but I am well aware that a very strict chain of command exists, and not only are they breaking that, they are also disrespecting a superior officer. I see no reason why such an attractive and powerful shinobi should have to put up with that sort of behavior." The polished tone and the smooth way he slipped in the compliment caused her to blush slightly, despite it not being the first time she had heard such things. Something about Hanzo seemed to make you feel privileged that he was deigning to speak with you. Sahama was right in a way, Hanzo held quite the noble bearing.

"Thank you for the compliment, but I am not that powerful." She couldn't find it in her to deny the attractive part.

"However certain…circumstances…have resulted in my comrades from Kumo not liking me at the moment. Do not worry, it is a temporary thing." His eyes darkened, causing her to wonder if he had had a friend who held the same condition.

"Yugito-san, it doesn't really matter what's happened, unless you're a traitor you don't deserve this kind of treatment, and I doubt you're a former traitor, dragged back to the village and forced to work for them. Besides, are you not a Jonin? Everyone can tell by the vest, and becoming a Jonin is no small feat." She blushed again at the final part, despite her thoughts at the former. If only it was true, but he was right about one thing. She hadn't done anything to deserve the treatment they leveled upon her. The mere fact that a civilian, admittedly an observant one, but a civilian spotting something wasn't right meant it was being taken too far. She would have to speak with the Raikage upon arriving at Kumo.

Hanzo smiled internally. He hadn't done much, but it placed a seed of doubt, one that would grow with or without his efforts. However, his careful managing would see it on Kiri's side.

~Break~

Kumo was even easier than Konoha had been to set up his network, the sole exception being that the Raikage's secretary wasn't as trusted as Konoha's. No big deal though, he could ensure he saw all but the most secret documents now. From what he had learned, Cloud, head of Kumo's BOLT, was out of Kumo on some sort of attack. The remaining Bolt members didn't know much, but he had gotten every one of them, including one who was quite high ranked, who had just returned from a mission mere seconds before Hanzo had arrived, which was the only reason the man wasn't out with Cloud. Of course, that had sparked Hanzo's curiosity, and as such he managed to find the location of Cloud from the Raikage's office. The man hadn't really been careful when he started cursing the Thunderstorm for leaving to fight Quake in the Land of Waterfall with very little prior notice. Apparently the man had needed to leave in a hurry.

Naturally, Hanzo wouldn't just let such an important event pass by without finding out what it was about. There were a fair few rumblings from his Konoha spies as well, so he knew something big was going down. He hid himself from the various shinobi just long enough to create a shadow clone, the exactly identical being swiftly painting a seal upon his flesh. The clone nodded at him, before taking his place out in the city, leaving Hanzo free to vanish, using sneaking abilities honed through years of running from mobs, and a year of avoiding Anbu-level shinobi, to leave the village, before traveling to the land of Waterfall at the speed of a Kage.

At that pace it was only a few hours to get there, despite the great distance. After all, at Kage speed even the three-day journey between Konoha and Suna could be cut down into a single hour. Naturally, Kage level ninja couldn't be used for simple messages, otherwise the communication system would be a great deal faster. As it turned out, he would arrive just in time.

~Break~

Hanzo stood in the shadows as two titans met, peaceably for the moment. Cloud, Thunderstorm of Kumo, and Gaia, Avalanche of Iwa, and the differences atwixt them were as obvious as day in night. Where one was female, the other was male. One walked with confidence and even arrogance, the other with a dark purpose. One wielded a massive blade, the other a small hand-axe. The woman spoke, both their features concealed by masks and shadows.

"Do tell me Cloud, just why did you enter Iwa held territory? You know the consequences for that." She said, voice a malicious and amused tune. It had no effect on the shadowed Cloud, his voice a light baritone.

"Iwa-held territory? Do correct me if I am wrong, but the Land of Waterfall is a Konoha territory, one which we "agreed" to stay off of." She laughed, but there was a hint of anger in her joy.

"This Land is ours now, and will remain so. So you can either leave…or my forces will obliterate you." Out of the earth rose dozens of shinobi, their hands already held in the final sign of various Jutsu. Cloud cocked his head to the side, his hand coming up to grab the hilt of his blade, though his other hand remained hidden inside his robe.

"Do you really think your little sheep intimidate me? We both know that if this was all you brought then Danzo would have killed you. So, why don't you reveal your aces, and make this a fair fight, hmmm?" From the shadows came two men, both legends amongst the villages. Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame, the latter's famous Samehada already drawn and in his hands, the bandages removed to reveal the scaled blade.

"Last warning Thunderstorm, leave or die." Gaia said, her voice now full of anger at Cloud's little game. She was well known for her lack of patience in regards to the little subtleties that the various shadows . It was obvious that there was a frown on Cloud's face as he spoke, spiky blond hair swaying in the wind as his left hand revealed itself, the gloved hand balled into a fist. It raised up to his head, elbow bending as the fist opened for a second, his head turning to the cloudy sky.

"You've hired Akatsuki, an organization of S-Rank ninja Gaia. Even Yagura would take his attention of that little civil war of his to join us against you now, because we cannot allow one nation to hold this much power." Water began to fall, a light drizzle soon turning to a heavy rain, Cloud's mask sliding off in the rain to reveal his sky-blue eyes raised to the sky, as if pleading with the sky. A peaceful expression reigned over his face as his hand slowly balled back into a fist.

"There's nothing better than a good, clean rain. It washes away sins, regrets, failures…and victories." Gaia's own hands rose up, her chakra coming into focus to counter whatever move Cloud was about to make, Itachi and Kisame taking stances as well. Cloud took in a deep breath, basking in the torrential downpour.

"However, you've woken up the darker side of the rain. As the guardian of Kumo, I can't let you threaten my village like this Gaia, and for that I am sorry. I've always held a great deal of respect for you, but now…" The fist finished closing, those remarkable blue eyes turning from the sky to stare at her.

"You will drown in the waters of the Storm, and be murdered by the thunder." His fist blasted through the air, hitting something at his side, a brilliant flash of white light stunning many in the clearing, a deafening boom of thunder following and dazing the Earth Ninja even more.

"**Raiton: Thunder." **He spoke as the lightning he had summoned from the move rippled outwards, before arcing straight at Kisame and Itachi, the biggest threats. The sound of battle filled the clearing as Bolt engaged Quake, the former gaining an advantage early thanks to Cloud's maneuver. Gaia's head snapped over to look at Kisame and Itachi as the blue-man cut through the lightning, her little axe clashing with Cloud's massive broadsword. Her eyes looked at Itachi and Kisame, motioning for them to help her forces now that Bolt had gained the advantage. They moved, instantly, striking down what seemed to be the higher-level members of Bolt, or attempting to at least. They were swiftly bogged down with teams fighting them though. Even an S-rank ninja would have problems with eight A-rank ninja's fighting them at once. The fight between Gaia and Cloud however, was a great deal more intense.

Thunder and fire flashed through the skies, the earth itself rippling up and down as the two elemental titans clashed, metal ringing out as the blonds' blade shattered the small ax, only for it to reform immediately, stronger than before, the earth particles making it up regenerating. Less than a minute passed, all told, the large battle not even having time to warm up properly, yet with dozens dead, before it stopped, the two sides separating and reforming near their respective leaders as a new side made an appearance.

Flames rippled in the center of the clearing, fed by an intense wind. Bodies formed in the grass, the fire forming feet and rising up to finish off their bodies, revealing a large force of Root shinobi, led by someone no one had expected to show up. A brown haired man, wrapped in bandages, glared at both sides through his one good eye, his typical cane now revealed to be a sword. The Root shinobi outnumbered both forces, causing no small amount of shock that Danzo could bring together so many men in such a short time.

"Now, it would seem to me that there are a few things you two children do not understand." The wizened man said, killing intent pressing down on the clearing.

"For starters, territory disputes are not to be held in Konoha territory…am I clear?" A growl and a nod were his answer, from the leaders of each faction.

"This will not be Konoha territory after today War-Hawk!" Gaia exclaimed, her axe spinning in her hand, much to Danzo's amusement, a twinkle in his eye, the same one an adult gets when patronizing a whiny brat.

"Do you really think that two S-Rank ninja will be enough to turn the tide in your favor Gaia-san?" She stopped, growling again. She gestured to her forces, and the group vanished, heading out of Waterfall, knowing she was outmatched. Itachi gave a short nod of respect to Danzo before following her. The man turned to Cloud, a curious gleam in his eye.

"I'm surprised Cloud. I wasn't expecting you to fight for us." A chuckle bubbled up within the man, though he quickly suppressed it, his broadsword being sheathed along his back.

"Fight for you? Now Danzo-san, you know better than that." Another chuckle was stopped, this time by Danzo, as the War-Hawk watched Bolt leave his land. '_Indeed.'_

A gasp resounded through the clearing as Danzo's army vanished, the only one left was a woman, frail and weak, a small painting in front of her as she fell panting to the ground. An emotionless voice crackled through an earpiece once she managed to recover, Hanzo unable to hear it from his position in the trees, but her responses quickly had him figuring it out, a smirk crossing his face. It had been a bluff, from the progeny of the Kurama clan itself, the best genjutsu users in all of Konoha. '_Well played Danzo.'_

~Break~

Hanzo made it safely back to Kumo before Bolt did, his mind racing. There was going to be a war, of that there was no doubt. Cloud wouldn't take kindly to the loss of potential territory, and Gaia would definitely strike at Konoha again soon. The question was, would Sand, who would undoubtedly wind up joining, and Cloud, fight with each other, against each other, or join one of the others. He looked over the village of Kumo, not knowing that a blond, a brunette, and a one-eyed man were doing the same for their respective villages. A phrase left their mouths, in an odd synchronization.

"_The War in the Shadows is about to begin."_

He turned away from the sight. He would have to leave the spy networks to his shadow clones, he needed to get back to Kirigakure immediately. Mei needed to know, and he needed to organize what Flood forces he had. They were few in number, but more were in training, so at least it wasn't too bad. Still…he had been hoping that the current ceasefire would last long enough for him to make it through the villages and set up the spy network, instead he only had two major villages. A pity.

He returned to his hotel, knowing that he wouldn't be able to leave for a day or two, even with his clones. Sighing, he went to bed, his head spinning over the various things that may or may not happen.

"One thing is for sure. I'm going to be a very busy man for some time now."

It was the beginning of the end for the Shinobi of the Shadows, as a masked figure laughed in a dark cave, having just received the report of a successful beginning.

'_Soon! Soon the very best of the Villages will all be dead!'_ He thought; a flash of crimson showing in the single mask hole.

AN: Well, this was a troublesome chapter, and it's still not quite where I want it, but it is the best I can do considering what time limits I have on it. This chapter was more of a bridge to the next one.

ChronoMitsurugi I quite appreciate your rants because they ensure that I fix the gaping holes in my story. And true, Kyuubi itself wouldn't be afraid of death, I'll certainly agree to that. But this was the chakra of a beast that out powered him so much it was like comparing an ant to god. Maybe not that much, but you get the point. Are you not fond of Mei Terumi in general or just mine?

R. Peter, yes, Hanzo is Naruto. Hanzo was the "mask" that Naruto created immediately after leaving Konoha, and will continue to use for some time.

Thank you very much Fenarinarsa, I hope I can continue to impress you.

Blad544 I've made Kakashi quite strong. True, he's no match for Naruto, but he could match up to S-rank shinobi. That was Danzo's opinion, and keep in mind that Danzo doesn't know everything.

AEE, as I believe I stated in chapter 30's AN, Naruto is a little over fourteen. The overwhelming chakra of the Kyuubi coursing through him has forced his body to mature quickly in order to control it and as such his body is nearing eighteen. I'm sure you've seen eighth grade students who look like college students? I know I have, and it's the same principle. His body just matured early.


End file.
